


A Merchant, A Soldier, and A Home

by DirectorShark



Series: The Adventures of a Supreme Being and Her Famous Friends [3]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Bottom Tony, But the changes are good ones, Continuing the Adventure, F/M, Liz is the sister Tony needed, M/M, Main focus is Tony/Steve, Marzanna is back again, Not completely Iron Man 3 compliant, Steve isn't either, Steve loves him but it takes him a minute to figure it out, Tony is precious, Tony isn't dumb, Tony makes good mental health decisions, Took Cannon and Threw it Away, Top Steve, it's better this way
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-02-27 05:11:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 31,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13241127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DirectorShark/pseuds/DirectorShark
Summary: Steve finds new purpose. Tony discovers that his crush isn't one sided. Elizabeth distrusts anyone who can avoid JARVIS's scanners and Marzanna doesn't know what is going on but as long as she gets to avoid Asgardian politics then she will happily track down Tony and bring him back.Home is where the heart is and it might just take a genius, billionaire, playboy (though maybe not such much anymore), philanthropist for a living legend, that kind of lives up to the legend, to find his.





	1. Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> UPDATE 7/26/18: Hello! I know it has been forever since I posted a chapter and I apologize for the long wait. My muse deserted me but I am happy to report that she has made a reappearance and this story will be completely posted soon. As always I thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy it.
> 
> This is part three of the series and while you can understand this story without reading the other two, there are things that won't make sense until you read the previous two parts. 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who stuck with me and I hope you enjoy this next installment in the series. I don't own anything except Marzanna and Elizabeth. If I owned Marvel Stony would be a thing and Loki never would have been a villain. I hope you all enjoy the story and I appreciate any comments or suggestions for where to take our characters next.
> 
> ^_^ 'Shark

December 31, 1999

Aldrich Killian had come to Switzerland with a dream. He left the country with a burning desire to make every single person that ever doubted his abilities pay for their mistake. 

It would take time to build his brand but when he did the first target he was going to eliminate would be Tony Stark. The man would pay for underestimating him and he would ensure his retribution was brutal.

*******  
Present Day

Steve had honestly come to love living in the new Avengers Tower. It was overwhelming at times but Tony had reassured him that anytime it got to be too much he could always come talk to him. Adjusting to the future was difficult without a battle or enemy to focus on but the state of the art gym helped him focus his energy. He was glad to have Tony around because the man just seemed to understand when he needed company and when he needed some privacy. Every day spent with the genius moved Steve closer to accepting his place in this time.

Fury tried to keep him busy but Tony was the one that was constantly in motion. Tony redesigned the tower to account for the team, oversaw the clean up of New York, began redesigning his armor, started making new gear for the entire team, began integrating Stark tech into SHIELD, made new tech for Stark Industries, and those were just the things that Tony or Jarvis had told him about. Tony also still made time to eat dinner with Steve every chance he got or every time Steve reminded him that eating was necessary to living. Steve appreciated that Tony let him take care of him. It was such a small thing but it soothed Steve to be able to take care of the small man.

Said man rarely slept and when he did it seemed to be at inconsistent intervals. Steve didn’t sleep a lot either but that was due to the serum. Steve would have worried more but Tony seemed genuinely happy so he decided that Tony could handle it. His decision to leave the small genius alone had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that when Tony got sleepy he sought him out and proceeded to fiercely cuddle him. Nope. Nothing at all. 

The labs in Avengers Tower were impressive but Steve wasn’t truly overwhelmed until he gave into Tony and flew with him to Malibu to see his California home and spend Christmas with the genius. The lab in Malibu was full of much of the same equipment but the tables were littered with projects started but not yet complete. The lab felt comfortable and Steve could see that it was the space Tony was most comfortable in. 

“So this is it. Home away from home.” Tony stated while gesturing around the lab. Steve looked around and then heard beeping coming towards both of them. He immediately tensed but relaxed once he saw that Tony was relaxed. The man's eyes shined with happiness. The beeping had come from three arms on wheels. “These are my bots: Dummy, Butterfingers, and U.” Tony said while pointing to each individual bot. Steve stuck his hand out and gently clasped each bot in turn. The bots all whirled around the beeped ecstatically. 

Tony laughed and leaned against Steve. “They like you.” 

Steve had noticed that the longer they spent together the more comfortable Tony had become with touching him. He would pat him on the shoulder in the morning after Steve had made it in from his morning run and Tony was coming out of the lab for coffee. Steve also had noticed that Tony would simply brush up against him when they stood together and go for a quick hug anytime he had been gone for more than a day. Not to mention the cuddling that would occur when Tony was sleepy. It was nice. 

Steve enjoyed all of the small touches and had started to reciprocate. He would grab Tony and pull him into a hug when Tony seemed stressed. He had also taken to pulling the smaller man into his side when they watched movies. Tony had made Steve a whole list of movies that he deemed necessary for Steve's integration into the twenty first century. The list was long but Steve was honestly looking forward to going through it with Tony.

Steve had also found that running his fingers through Tony’s hair or lightly up and down his back would put the engineer right to sleep. 

He leaned into Tony and looked at the bots that were now zipping around the lab chasing a ball Tony had thrown. “They are quite cute. When did you build them?”

Tony looked at the bots and then up at the man next to him. “I built Dummy when I was at MIT. He was my first AI. Butterfinger and U came later.” Steve smiled and reached across Tony to take the ball that Butterfinger had brought back and threw it again for the bots.

Tony found that he liked seeing the wide smile that currently graced the solder's face and he adored watching him play with his bots. The bots were his babies and he appreciated that Steve simply respected it without question.

The longer he was around Steve the more he saw that Howard hadn’t truly known Steve Rogers at all. The man was funny, intelligent, and loved to listen to gossip. He had never seen someone so invested in other people’s drama as Steve Rogers. Also he had never met someone so terrified of spiders. The man had shrieked and run out of the kitchen when a lone house spider had fallen onto the kitchen counter. Tony was pretty sure that Steve's shriek had petrified the spider.

The mother henning was another quality that Howard had failed to mention in his many praises of Captain America. Steve didn’t pressure him to sleep or eat but he always seemed to show up with food when Tony decided to give into his body’s demands for food and never complained when Tony pulled him onto the nearest comfortable surface to cuddle when he was approaching collapse. 

The first time it had happened Tony had come to freaking out about not remembering getting to bed but Jarvis had reassured him that Steve had put him there.

The second time Tony had woke up with his head resting against Steve’s shoulder and Steve’s head resting against his. He hadn’t wanted to wake the super soldier so he promptly fell back asleep only to roused when Steve shifted him to move. The third time it had happened Tony had woken up wrapped in Steve’s arms. The man was a damn octopus and Tony hadn’t been able to move. Not that it bothered him. When Tony was wrapped in Steve's arms he felt safe. It was a feeling he was unaccustomed to. 

Steve made him feel safe and cared for. It was a terrifying discovery but instead of running and avoiding Steve he went and talked to Liz. She didn't laugh at him or tell him Steve was way too good for him as he had feared she would. Instead she listened to everything he said and then gave him an incredulous look.

“What is the problem exactly?” Tony scowled at her. “What if I mess this up? What if I scare him off by coming on too strong? What if…” He never got to finish. 

“You can run yourself ragged thinking about the what ifs but you are going to miss your chance to actually be with someone you could love if you do.” She looked him in the eye and smiled softly. “Love isn’t something you plan for. It happens when it happens. For now just enjoy being with him and see where it goes.” Liz stated before glancing at the stars. He knew she missed Thor. “He will come back. They all will.” Liz smiled and nodded. 

Tony had taken her advice and invited Steve to Malibu because he wanted to spend time with him and he didn’t want the man alone during Christmas. Watching him meet the bots made the whole trip worth it. “Would you like to see the rest of the house?” Steve nodded and Tony moved to give him the grand tour. 

After dinner Tony asked Steve if he would like to go down to the beach and Steve agreed. He hadn’t been to the beach since his mom took him during the summer of 1938. 

They walked the edge of the water and just as Steve turned to say something to Tony he felt the man shove him. He lost his footing and sat sputtering in the gentle tide. He looked up at the laughing genius. “Oh you are so going to get it.” He said as he jumped to his feet and took off after the now sprinting Tony. 

He caught him and scooped him into his arms as he waded into the shallow water and prepared to drop him. Tony clung tightly and Steve liked holding him so he only pretended to drop him. “Don’t worry I’ve got you.” He said while laughing at Tony’s affronted look. “Very funny Rogers.” Steve continued to laugh but turned and waded back out of the ocean and towards Tony’s house. He made no move to put Tony down and when Tony didn’t protest he carried the man all the way back to the house. 

“I had a good time. Thank you Tony.” Steve said while gently setting Tony back on his feet.

“It was my pleasure Steve." Tony said while standing up on his tippy toes and planting a chaste kiss on Steve’s cheek. 

He pulled back and smiled before turning to go to the lab. 

Steve caught him before he could make it to the elevator and spun him around. He gripped the side of Tony’s face and leaned forward and gently kissed the soft lips he had been eyeing for weeks now. The kiss was slow, gentle, and perfect. When they pulled apart their expressions radiated wonder and contentment. 

“Good night Bambi.” Steve said as he moved to his room.

Tony smiled and softly replied. “Night Tesoro.”


	2. New Gear and New Promises

Tony normally wouldn’t have invited anyone to watch him test his new tech but Steve had listened to him drone on and on about it so he thought he could give the man a first hand look at it in action. He stood on the platform and completely ignored Jarvis’s concerns though he had a harder time ignoring the concerned shine in Steve's eyes.

“Show me what you got Bambi.” Steve said while standing well out of the way. 

Tony smirked and asked Jarvis to cue his song. Steve smiled as Jingle Bells began playing. 

Tony’s first two attempts were unsuccessful but the third one got the pieces of armor flying to him. Steve had to admit it was pretty cool. Tony grinned at him and ordered the rest of the pieces sent to him. It quickly spiraled out of control for there but in the end it looked like Tony had figured it all out. That was until the last piece hit him from behind and sent him spiraling in the air before crashing and all the armor skittering away. 

“Are you okay?” Steve asked anxiously as he ran to his companion. Tony nodded while pulling the faceplate and helmet off. “It is always a great pleasure watching you work Sir.” Jarvis’s statement sent Steve into a snorted laugh that he attempted to stifle when Tony glared at him but wasn’t entirely successful.

“Maybe you can come back to this after you sleep?” Steve said while helping his little Bambi to his feet. Tony had been awake nearly seventy-two hours attempting to perfect his design and Steve was determined he was going to sleep. Tony started to protest but it was cut off when Steve scooped him up and carried him out of the lab.

Steve settled him into his bed but before he could leave Tony’s hand snagged his wrist. “Stay.” The quiet request made Steve smile. He crawled into bed behind Tony and wrapped his arms around the man. "Jarvis put on Nightmare Before Christmas." As the movie began to play Steve began running his fingers through Tony's hair and smiled as the genius quickly succumbed to arms of morpheus. Steve watched a few minutes of the movie before he felt himself fully relax and slip into the land of dreams. 

After his forced rest Tony was roaring to go again but he also wanted to show Steve something he had designed specifically for him. “Come on! Come on!” He urged a laughing Captain America to hurry to the lab.

When they reached the lab Tony started going ninety to nothing and Steve just let it wash over him. 

Tony finally turned to face him and held out a new set of gloves. “What do they do?” He asked and Tony motioned for him to put them on. When he did he felt the little button inside pointer finger of both gloves. “You can recall your shield by compressing the button in either glove and if you squeeze either button twice in quick succession it will act as a homing beacon that Jarvis can pick up. The device is also completely undetectable so as long as you have your gloves I can find you.” 

Tony reached into his pocket and handed Steve a phone. “This phone is also set up so that you can see any homing beacon activated by any of the Avengers.” Tony smiled. “I gave our Asgardian teammates each one when they left, the master spies each have one, Bruce has one that even the Hulk can use, and I have one as well.” Steve was blown away. Not only could he track all of his teammates if they were in danger but Tony had given him the ability to always be able to get a bead on his own location. It seemed an enormous gift from someone that valued his privacy so much he privatized the Iron Man armor.

“Thank you Tony.” Tony grinned. “You’re welcome Tesoro.” 

Tony’s eyes took on a mischievous gleam. “So want to practice with your gloves or are you too afraid you can’t keep up old man?” 

Steve smirked. “Oh we will see who can’t keep up.” They both suited up and moved to “practice.” At the end of the practice Steve was impressed with Tony’s maneuverability and Tony was impressed with Steve’s quick adaptation to new tech. 

They returned to the living room after taking separate showers to watch television while waiting on the food to arrive. Jarvis turned on the TV and they watched as the broadcast was interrupted to bring a message. The message came from a man who called himself the Mandarin and he was taking credit for a bombing on a U.S. Military base in Kuwait. He targeted the women and children. Tony’s face filled with horror and Steve become tenser and tenser the longer the man talked. The man threatened the President, the citizens, and everyone who had ties to the USA. 

“You know who I am. You don’t know where I am and you will never see me coming.” The Mandarin signed off and neither man could quite believe what they had just seen. 

Tony was the first to speak. “What do we do?” Steve looked at the small man beside him. “We gather information and then we are going to bring his entire organization down.” Steve gripped Tony’s hand. “Together.”


	3. Gathering Information

The president’s reaction to the Mandarin had been to bring in Rhodey and War Machine. When the president announced that they were changing the name to “Iron Patriot” both of them shook their head and agreed that War Machine was a far better name. 

“I will go talk to Rhodey and see what I can get out of him.” Tony said and Steve nodded. 

“I will go see Fury.” Tony looked concerned. 

“What are you going to do if he tells you to stay out of it?” Steve met Tony’s eyes. “Politely tell him to fuck off.” 

Tony grinned. “Language.” Steve scoffed but kept smiling at his genius.

The plane ride was uneventful but over far too quickly for Tony. He didn’t really want to be parted from Steve because he was afraid Fury was going to detain the man.

“Hey if you run into trouble please call?” Tony asked while worrying Steve’s wrist.

“I will call you either way.” Steve reassured and then pulled Tony into a tight hug. 

“I will meet you back here as soon as I am done talking to Fury.” 

They pulled back but before Steve left he leaned down and kissed Tony firmly. “You call me if you need me back sooner.” Tony found himself nodding and kissing Steve a second time before they went their separate ways.

*******  
Tony was happy to see Rhodey. He knew that the military kept him busy but he missed seeing his best friend. They joked back and forth about the new Iron Patriot but he could tell that Rhodey wasn’t attached to the name. “So tell me about the Mandarin and what is really going on.” 

Rhodey shook his head. “It is classified.” He leaned closer. “There have been nine bombings but the public only knows about three.” Tony gasped. “The problem is that there is no way to detect the device because there are no casing fragments left over. It’s almost like there is no device.” 

Tony took in what Rhodey was saying. “I can help. You only need to ask. I have a new suit designed for bomb detection/disposal and I have a device that will actually catch a bomb mid air to prevent explosion.”

Col. Jim Rhodes was glad to see his friend but he could see the exhaustion on Tony’s face. Tony always pushed it and he never asked for help but he was the first person to offer his own. Rhodes hadn’t often seen the unselfish side of Tony prior to Afghanistan but now he wished he could see it less. He knew that Tony had flown the nuke into that wormhole knowing he might not come back. All he wanted was for his friend to value his own life.

“When was the last time you got a decent night’s sleep?” Tony looked thoughtful. "Two days ago. I've just had a lot on my mind since then.” 

Rhodes shook his head. “Well that's shocking. I was expecting to hear something about sleep is for the weak. Now I'm concerned. Should I be concerned?” 

Tony smiled at Rhodey. “Are you really going to come at me like that?” Rhodes held up his hands. “Look I am not trying to be a dic..tator.” He was interrupted by the arrival of some kids that wanted Tony to sign their artwork. Tony started to sign and then seemed to lose it for a moment. He swayed in his seat before bursting up and running for his armor. Rhodes quickly followed him.

Tony felt fine until he looked at the little girl’s artwork. The wormhole had terrified him and the ship he had seen on the other side had been terrible. The room started to close in on him and even though he knew he was on earth and safe he couldn't stop the panic slowly overtaking his mind. Tony had to escape. He could hear a concerned Rhodey behind him as he ran but he needed to feel the armor wrap around him. The armor never let him down and he needed that stability right now. As he was encased inside the suit he frantically asked Jarvis what was wrong. Jarvis started replying at the same time Steve’s voice flooded his ears. 

Steve had felt his pocket vibrate as he was waiting for Fury to finish a debrief to meet with him. He took his phone out only to frown because it was Tony. When he answered he heard Tony’s frantic voice asking Jarvis what was wrong with him. “Tony! Tony what’s wrong?” He asked anxiously. The genius was breathing hard and seemed unable to calm down. “Hey Tony you don’t have to talk just listen to my voice and take a deep breath.” He listened and heard a shuddering inhale. "That's it. Okay now let it out slowly.” Once he heard the exhale he started again. “Okay again slowly take deep breath in, hold it, and now slowly exhale.” He repeated the words over and over until he could hear Tony calm down. 

“Steve.” Tony asked weakly. “I’m here Bambi are you alright now?” Steve had to strain to hear Tony's voice. “No but I am calmer than I was.” Steve wanted to leave and find Tony so he could wrap him in his arms. “I will be waiting on the plane Tesoro.” Tony’s soft words ate at Steve. “I will finish as quick as I can and come straight back to you.” Steve tightened his grip on his phone. “Okay see ya soon.” Tony's soft reply almost made Steve turn around and leave but the sight of a familiar trench coat stopped him.

Steve turned his back on Fury and asked Jarvis where Tony was going and if he was okay. Jarvis informed him that Tony was headed back to the plane to wait for Steve and that he wasn't completely recovered. "That's it I'm heading back now." The hand that landed on Steve's shoulder wouldn't have stopped him from leaving if Jarvis hadn't requested that Steve get what information he could because Tony would blame himself if he came back now. Steve knew Jarvis was right but he didn't want to leave his Bambi alone. Steve sighed but after getting a promise from Jarvis to inform him if anything else happened Steve resigned himself to staying.

“I don’t care if he stubs his toe Jarvis. If anything happens I want to know.” Jarvis confirmed he would contact him so Steve disconnected after thanking the AI. 

Steve looked up to see a surprised Fury standing in the doorway. “I wasn’t aware that you and Stark were close.” Steve raised an eyebrow. “And I wasn’t aware that who I am close to is any of your concern.” Fury smirked. “It isn’t.” Steve didn’t believe the man for one second. “Now what can I do for you Captain Rogers?”

*******  
Steve’s talk with Fury had been pointless. Turns out SHIELD hadn’t been monitoring the Mandarin until the attack in Kuwait. Something about there had to be so many attacks before it became a SHIELD issue and not just a US Government issue. Fury had told him that there was a chance that the Mandarin might be connected to a group called AIM but that was all the info he had. He offered to bring Steve in and let him go undercover but he declined. He needed to get back to Tony.

He found his Bambi curled up on the couch at the back of the plane. He was sleeping but not very deeply because the minute Steve picked him up he startled awake. 

“Shh. It’s just me Bambi. You are safe. I’ve got you.” Steve felt his precious bundle relax against him and snuggle close. 

“I need to tell the pilot to go.” Tony sleepily stated. 

Steve just shushed him again. “I’ve already done it so you can just go back to sleep.” Steve eased himself down into a seat and held Tony in his lap while tucking his face into the hollow of his neck. He draped a blanket around them and felt the last little tension leave Tony’s body as he drifted to sleep. Steve tightened his grip on the small man and hoped that when they got home Tony would talk to him about his attack.

The plane took off and Steve wondered when he had fallen so deeply for the man in his arms. He looked down at his Bambi and knew that the moment Tony had invited him to live with him he had been smitten. Over the weeks of just existing together Steve had slowly found himself growing closer to the genius. As he watched Tony sleep he knew he would do everything in his power to protect him. After all Tony had given him something that he didn't even know he needed. Steve smiled and settled in for the ride home.


	4. Tragedy Hits Home

Tony didn’t stir until Steve had already carried him off the plane and placed him in the passenger seat of the car they had taken to the airport. 

“Hey we are almost home you can go back to sleep.” Steve said gently while stroking his cheek. Tony leaned into the touch but didn’t immediately fall back asleep. He watched as the scenery passed and was impressed at how easily Steve navigated the unfamiliar streets of California. As they pulled into the garage Tony let go of the last bit of tension in his body. It was good to be home. 

Steve shut the car off and turned to look his sleepy passenger. He smiled at the soft look on Tony’s face before getting out and moving to the passenger side. Tony opened the door and Steve gently pulled him out of the car and guided the sleepy man towards the elevator. He nearly got him to the elevator when Tony tugged on him and started towards the couch at the back of the lab. Steve sighed but followed the sleepy man to the surprisingly comfortable piece of furniture and gave in when he felt himself being tugged to lay down. He cradled Tony in his arms and hugged him tightly to his chest. Before he could ask him what happened today Tony started softly explaining.

“Nothing has been the same since New York.” He said softly. “I keep have reoccurring dreams about going into the wormhole and not making it back.” Steve felt the small man tremble and began running his fingers lightly up down his back. “I am afraid that the Chitauri or something worse will come back and we wont be prepared. That’s why I’ve been designing and building like crazy.” Steve knew that Tony had been busy but he didn’t know that it was lingering fear that caused him to push himself so hard. “I am constantly thinking of new ways to prepare in the hope that it will make the anxiety go away.” Tony shifted so he could look up at Steve. “What do I do to stop feeling this way?” 

He looked down at the amber-eyed man and couldn't help but tighten his hold. Tony looked vulnerable and it wasn't an expression that Steve had ever seen on his face. "First there is nothing wrong with preparing for battle but you don't have to prepare alone. This isn't your burden to carry by yourself." Now Steve's eyes changed to reflect his uncertainty. Second, as much as I wish I had the answers for you I don't know how you stop feeling anxious. The only thing that helped me was spending time with you." Tony smiled and raised his eyebrow at Steve. "Ah yes and testing out the durability of every punching bag in the tower." Tony laughed softly and placed his hand on the side of Steve's face. 

"I don't think punching bags are my things but I enjoy spending time with you. I just don't want to become a burden." Steve automatically gripped Tony tighter and gently pulled the genius out from his hiding spot so he could make eye contact. "You have never been a burden Tony. That isn't how this works between us. I am here because there is no where else I would rather be." Steve closed the gap and gently kissed a shocked Tony. When he pulled back he could see a light blush dusting his Bambi's cheeks. The man was too cute for his own good. 

"Thank you Steve." Tony leaned up and Steve could swear his eyes were molten gold before he pressed their lips together. Their previous kiss had been slow and comforting. This kiss was all consuming and if Steve had any doubts about Tony they were obliterated by the sheer amount of emotion Tony managed to convey with his lips. As they broke apart panting Steve couldn't stop himself from moving his lips down Tony's neck and lightly biting. The way Tony arched into him was beautiful. Steve wanted this man with a passion that would be terrifying if he couldn't see the same passion reflecting in Tony's eyes. 

Steve pulled Tony under him and claimed the smaller man's lips as his hands trailed down Tony's torso. Tony pressed himself up into Steve and caused them both to groan at the contact. Steve pulled back and met Tony's eyes. "I want to fuck you." Tony moaned and pulled Steve back down. "Yes. Please. Now." Steve grinned and decided his goal would be to see how long it took to get his genius to lose his mind. 

It didn't take long to lose their shirts. The only time they stopped kissing was to pull the fabric over their heads. Steve was consumed with his desire to touch every bit of Tony. Their pants quickly followed and Tony couldn't stop his moan at realizing that Captain America went commando. "That is unbelievably hot Captain." Steve smirked and Tony was pretty sure that the look could be classified as a weapon of mass destruction. Once Tony was completely naked Steve couldn't stop staring. The man was fit and clearly hid a lot of muscle under his band t-shirts and jeans. "You are beautiful." The blush made a reappearance and Steve found it just as endearing. 

The only thing that gave Steve pause were the scars on Tony's body. He knew that being Iron Man wasn't easy but some of the scars were faded and look older than Iron Man. He leaned down and kissed a particularly long scar that wrapped around Tony's side and ended in his perfectly defined V. Steve made a decision that he would be mapping every single one of them and would get the story behind all of them. But the story would have to wait. Right now he just wanted to fuck this perfect specimen moaning so beautifully under him. 

Tony was terrified of how Steve would see his body but the man's appreciation was loud and clear. Honestly the man looked like a predator as he watched Tony wither under him. When Steve placed a gentle kiss on the arc reactor after getting permission from Tony the genius knew he was gone. He was utterly and hopelessly in love with this man. Then Steve gripped him and all thoughts of love went out the window. 

Steve gripped Tony and slowly pumped the inventor. As he was slowly tormenting his genius he spied the lube that Tony had pulled from under the couch. The bottle was full and Steve wondered when Tony had bought it. "I got it after that night on the beach." Tony panted having seen the question in his eyes. Steve's eyes lit up. "I wanted you that night but I didn't want to push." Tony smiled and then moaned when Steve tightened his grip. 

Tony's moans covered the sound of the bottle opening and the slick finger at his entrance surprised the smaller man. "Steve. Please." Steve slowly eased his finger into Tony. He began to thrust as he kissed Tony. One finger quickly became two and when Tony was thrusting back against his hand Steve added a third. Steve could feel Tony quickly approaching orgasm and he tightened his grip at the base of his shaft and leaned to whisper in Tony's ear. "Don't come until I tell you to." Tony whined but nodded. "I need a verbal reply sweetheart." Tony's glazed eyes met his. "Yes Sir." Steve shuddered and grinned.

Steve slicked his own shaft and lined up with Tony's now empty hole before slowly pushing in. It seemed like it was hours before he bottomed out. He held still and let Tony adjust. "God you are tight." Steve stroked Tony's face and gently stroked his cock to distract him. Tony's eyes fluttered open. "I am so full. I never knew this was how it would feel." His words short circuited Steve's already impaired thoughts. He was Tony's first. There was no way he could be this lucky. 

Steve starred at him in wonder and then he proceeded to attack Tony's lips while gently thrusting. "You don't know how hot it is to know that I have the honor of being your first." Steve leaned back and pulled out almost completely before slamming back inside. Tony whined and canted his hips up to meet Steve's thrusts. The grip on his hips would likely leave bruises but he was okay with that. Steve increased his pace and relished in the sounds he was pulling out of Tony. 

"Steve! Please!" Tony was starting to babble and when Steve hit the little bundle of nerves inside of the squirming man he knew he wouldn't be able to last much longer. He tightened his grip and began targeting that spot relentlessly. When he felt the fire that had pooled in his lower belly begin to consume him Steve leaned over Tony. "I am going to ruin you for anyone else. Come. Now." Steve enjoyed watching his genius erupt but then his channel gripped him so tight that he couldn't help but follow Tony into ecstasy. 

Steve collapsed on top of Tony but had enough presence of mind to make sure his elbows caught him. It wouldn't do to crush the man he loved. He watched Tony's mind come back online and had to smile at the look of awe in the man's eyes. Steve went to move but Tony stopped him. "I like you right here." Steve smiled and buried his nose in Tony's neck. "I like it right here too." 

Steve probably could have stayed there all night but sleep was calling and he didn't want to crush Tony in their sleep. He gently pulled out of his lover and rolled to retrieve a wet cloth from the bathroom. After cleaning them up Steve pulled Tony into his arms and carried his sleepy genius to his room. He put Tony on the bed first and then crawled in behind him. Tony snuggled into his chest and Steve thought he had fallen asleep until he heard him softly speak.

“Hearing your voice is what brought me back today. I feel safe with you." Steve tightened his hold on his small genius. "You will always be safe with me." Steve almost told Tony he loved him but before he could speak he felt the man completely relax and knew he had fallen asleep. Steve kissed his forehead. "I love you Bambi."

*******

Waking up with Steve was a regular occurrence but it was different now. Tony knew he loved the man and he had a suspicion that his feelings were likely returned. It made Tony giddy and he was practically vibrating with energy. He knew he had to look like a love struck fool but he couldn't seem to make himself care. Steve just watched Tony's expressions and damn the little genius cute. The look of love shining in his eyes made Steve want to wrap him up and never let go. If he had his way that would be exactly how this went. Tony noticed Steve was awake and seemed to become shy before he shook himself and kissed Steve. It was a new kiss. Tentative but oh so sweet. Steve like it. Tony pulled back and smiled a smile that Steve had never seen before. “Would you like to see something amazing?” Steve nodded and Tony drew him out of bed. As Steve picked up some sweats he couldn't help the small dart of lust that hit him at the sight of Tony in his shirt. Steve stalked towards him and spun him around while pulling him into a scorching kiss. "I like seeing you in my clothes." Tony smirked. "Captain I think you might be the possessive type." Steve just kissed the smirk off Tony's face. "I'm not complaining." Tony's breathless reply was all the satisfaction Steve needed. 

Tony led Steve down to the lab and asked Jarvis to open the vault. The vault was amazing and Steve had known Tony had been busy but he had never imagined the man had been working on a project of this size. He was in awe of how much Tony could accomplish when he put his mind to it.

The vault contained numerous Iron Man armors and giant black towers that seemed to glow. “This is the Iron Legion.” Tony said while pointing to the various armors. “I can use all of them but some are more advanced than others. I even have some that are designed for deep ocean retrieval.” Steve was speechless. The Iron Man armor was impressive in New York but the array of armors before him were otherworldly. 

“Tony these are amazing.” Tony chuckled. 

“This is what I have been spending my time doing. I want to be prepared no matter what happens.” 

Steve could hear the lingering fear so he pulled the smaller man into his arms while asking what the glowing black towers were. “Oh those are Jarvis’s servers. He is regularly backed up so that if anything were to happen his core is not destroyed. The small tower is for the bots and I have another tower that is for Friday my sister’s AI.” Steve grinned because Tony clearly saw his bots and AIs as his children. It was adorable. 

Tony held very few people in high regards and even fewer people were able to claim him as a friend. As he looked at the soldier playing with his bots he found that adding one more person to that list was easy. It had been easy to let Steve in and even easier to let himself fall in love with the man. The fear of the unknown continued to linger but Tony wouldn't be facing it alone.

*******  
Happy Hogan was happy to be in charge of security for Stark Industries CEO Virginia “Pepper” Potts. He was all too happy to ensure that his girlfriend and hopefully soon to be wife was protected at all times. The new security features he had implemented had caused some complaints but Happy felt that the entire building was now far more secure. Now if he could get her to implement everything from the New York office into the office here in California. 

As he was doing his rounds and checking security badges he couldn’t help but use the opportunity to bring up a new idea to Pepper. “Look Tony has got them in the basement and they are even wearing party hats but the bottom line is they get the job done. We could really put the idea to use.” Pepper looked down at the paper she was signing. 

“So let me get this straight you want me to order the entire janitorial staff replaced by robots.”

Happy sighed because he knew that tone. “What I am saying is that the most vulnerable part of human resources is the human element so we should just phase that out to ensure that the vulnerability is taken care of.” 

Pepper loved that Happy was so dedicated to his job but he was going overboard. “Happy I am so glad that you are the new Head of Security because it is the perfect job for you but staff complaints are up by 300%.” Happy smiled but Pepper shook her head. “That isn’t a good thing.” 

She listened to his repeated argument that someone was trying to hide something but cut off the tirate to deal with Aldrich Killian. The man was terribly annoying and had been attempting to convince first Tony and now her that his think tank AIM was worth investing in. Neither Tony nor herself had been impressed with his prior proposals but the man donated to their charities so she had to give him some of her time. Plus it had been more than five years since she had seen him so perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad.

When she stepped into the office she was shocked to see Aldrich Killian standing straight and tall. “Wow you look great. What have you been doing?” Pepper questioned incredulously. Killian smiled. “Nothing really. I have been in the hands of the world’s best physical therapists for five years and they did wonders.” Pepper nodded and then sat to hear his proposal. 

Aldrich wasn’t surprised that his looks had awed Pepper Potts. He knew that with the addition of Extremis one of its many perks was giving him his legs and fine looks. He enjoyed the shock and surprise when he ran into old acquaintances. He began his proposal but by the end he could tell that she wasn’t going to go for it. 

Pepper could see the many uses for Killian’s idea to hack into areas of our DNA and recode it but she could also see how easily it could be weaponized. “It would be incredible but unfortunately it also sounds highly weaponizable. You could enhance soldiers, have private armies, or other things and Tony is…” She didn’t get to finish because Killian interrupted her to attempt to manipulate her into agreeing with his plan. “It is going to be a no Aldrich.” Pepper stated firmly. She walked Killian out but his parting words that he would be seeing her again soon sent a shiver down her spine. 

Happy didn’t like the big brain guy and he sure didn’t like his assistant or driver or whatever the shaddy looking character called himself. They were hiding something so he decided he would follow the man and find out what was going on. If it got rough then so be it.

*******  
Steve’s hearing picked up Tony’s soft whimpers from his place at the desk in Tony’s room. He had carried him to bed earlier and after a thoroughly enjoyable round of love making left the fucked out genius sleeping while he sifted through the data Natasha had sent him on AIM and the Mandarin. 

Moving to the bed quickly Steve gently gripped Tony’s shoulder to wake him when he felt a metal hand wrap around his shoulder and pull him away from Tony. “Tony wake up!!” Steve yelled but made no further movement. 

Tony rolled over and disengaged the armor all the while apologizing to Steve. “Shit Steve. I am so sorry! That isn’t supposed to happen. I will recalibrate the sensors.” 

Steve gripped his distraught genius and gently kissed him. “It’s okay. I’m okay and I trust you not to hurt me.” Tony leaned into the firm chest in front of him and curled into himself. Steve stroked his back and continued murmuring reassurance. Finally the genus pulled himself up and settled between Steve legs and lean back against his chest. “Well now that I'm awake what is keeping you up?” Steve gently settled his hand on Tony’s chest over the arc reactor and told him about what he had found. 

Between the two of them that had found out exactly three things: one the Mandarin was claiming responsibility for nine total bombings; the man hadn’t existed anywhere until the first bombing had occurred; and three if the pattern was correct then there would be another bombing soon. Steve told Tony about Fury’s suspicion that AIM was working with the Mandarin. Tony had Jarvis running through the data and anything related to AIM. They would have to wait and see what he could find.

“So would you like some pancakes while we wait?” Tony asked the frustrated man sitting behind him. “Ah yeah sure. I didn’t know you could cook.” Tony smiled. “My parents weren’t around much so I spent a lot of time with our butler Jarvis and his wife Anna. She taught me to cook.” Steve noticed that Tony’s eyes had grown soft and warm at the mention of Jarvis and Anna. “Well show me what you can do then!” Steve stated and Tony smiled before grabbing his hand and pulling him into the kitchen.

The pancakes were delicious and Steve promised to never doubt Tony’s cooking skills ever again. “It’s a simple recipe but I am glad you liked them. I will make them for you more often.” Steve smiled and moved to help clean up. Standing next to Tony washing dishes while the genius dried was something so simple yet Steve felt like he had been doing it all his life. He felt his worries fall away and just enjoyed the moment. Steve would look back and wish he had said something to Tony then because he didn’t realize how long it would take to have another chance.

*******  
Happy knew that the guy was up to no good but he hadn’t expected to end up at the Chinese Theater. The exchange didn’t look terribly suspicious but Happy moved to engage the guy that had taken the briefcase. He managed to bump into him hard enough he dropped the case. Happy bent down and helped him collect the items that fell out while pocketing one. 

He was leaving the encounter when he ran into the guy that had initially made him suspicious. The man wasn’t happy when he saw what Happy had in his hand so the security officer knew he must be onto something. The creepy guy attempted to take it back and Happy punched him in the nose. The orange that flared around the wound and reset his nose was he same orange Happy had seen on the other guy’s face. Creepy guy grinned and threw him into the sunglass shack a few feet away. 

Before creepy guy could finish he job the man he had give the brief case to started to glow and yell for help. Happy slid himself fully behind the shack just as the explosion rippled through the area.

He came to and reached for the dog tags that had fallen into his line of sight. The thing that shocked him the most was the creepy guy standing up and leaving the area as if he hadn’t just gone through an explosion. He lost consciousness to the thought that if he died he would never get to ask Pepper to be his wife. 

*******  
Tony had been working on Steve’s Christmas present when he received the call that Happy had been hurt. 

He hurried out of the lab to find Steve who was watching the TV as the Mandarin took responsibility for another bombing. Tony gasped and Steve turned to face him. “What’s wrong Bambi?” Steve asked while moving to him. “Happy was injured and the last place he had told Pepper he was going to be was at the Chinese Theater.” Tony felt the rage start to boil. “That asshole is responsible for nearly getting Happy killed!” 

Steve grabbed Tony’s hand and squeezed before letting go and motioning the smaller man to the garage. “Let’s go see Happy and then go from there. We will find him. By the time we get back hopefully Jarvis will be done with is information gathering.” 

Tony nodded and allowed Steve to steer him towards a motorcycle. He raised an eyebrow at the tall man. “Really Steve?” Steve shrugged. “I love to ride and this is less flashy so you can get in without reporters bombarding you.” Tony looked at him suspiciously. “I think you just want me to cling to you, Cap.” Steve smirked and handed Tony a helmet. "That smirk should be illegal." Tony swung his leg over and scooted back so Steve could climb on.

Steve felt lust zing down his spine because watching his genius swing his leg over the motorcycle did things to him. He had a nice pert ass and well now was not the time for those thoughts. Steve shook himself and climbed on and started the engine. He felt Tony’s arms wrap around him and applauded himself for convincing the man to ride. 

Tony had to admit that riding with Steve was very different from riding by himself. He enjoyed Steve driving and being able to tightly hold the larger man was thrilling all in itself. The ride was fairly short but he had to admit that Steve was right about them attracting less attention on the bike. If he had to adjust himself after climbing off well that was his business. Though the good captain wasn't as nonchalant in his own needed adjustment much to Tony's enjoyment. 

When they reached Happy’s room Tony was surprised to see Liz. “Pepper called me.” Tony nodded because he didn’t need any further explanation. Their friends were their family and any of them would drop everything when one of them was in danger. 

“You can stay with me until you have to leave.” Liz looked at him. “I thought I would stay through New Year since I was already coming in for Christmas anyways.” Tony smiled and hugged her. It would be good to have her here.

Looking at Happy so still and hooked up to machines broke Tony’s heart but Pepper was the one he almost couldn’t deal with. She was beside herself with worry and just sat staring at Happy. 

“The last thing we talked about was stupid and meaningless. I didn’t even tell him I loved him at any point yesterday.” Pepper looked down at the floor dejectedly. “Pepper he knows you love him. You are the light of his life, never doubted that. Stay strong for his sake.” Tony said while gripping her hand.

Visiting hours came to an end and while Pepper had been allowed to stay the three of them were ushered out. Unfortunately the press had found out that not only was Tony Stark at the hospital but he had been accompanied by Steve Rogers aka Captain America. The reporters converged on the three of them as they stepped out of the hospital demanding to know what Tony’s reaction to the bombing was. 

Steve knew that this was just a facet of Tony’s life but the reporters were animals. The “so when is somebody going to kill this guy” pulled Steve out of his thoughts. Tony looked uncomfortable and angry. Steve watched as his Bambi's face went blank and his posture completely relaxed. It was the same way he had looked when they had argued on the helicarrier. “Is that what you want?” Tony stepped forward. 

“Here is a little holiday greeting I’ve been wanting to send the Mandarin I just didn’t know how to phrase it until now. My name is Tony Stark and I am not afraid of you. I know you are a coward. So I have decided that you just died and I’m going to come get the body. This isn’t about politics this is just good ole fashioned revenge.” 

Tony may have had more to say but Liz didn’t give him the chance. 

“That’s enough you hungry animals!” She yelled at all the reporters while pinning them with her death glare. She grabbed Tony and all the reporters parted like the red sea as she hauled him away towards her car and shoved him into the passenger seat. 

Steve had followed them so she threw him the keys. “Drive him straight home and I will meet you there.” 

Steve went to hand her the keys to the bike only to notice she had them in her hand. He quirked an eyebrow at her and she shrugged. “I was a smart kid with little supervision growing up.” Then she was gone and he found that he was impressed with Tony’s little sister.

As he got in the car he could tell that Tony was angry but a little more calm than before. “What did I just do?” Steve smiled and started the car. “You threatened a terrorist and then your sister threatened everyone else.” Tony smiled slightly. “Sounds like a regular day in the life of a Stark.”


	5. Threats and Actions

Elizabeth was so damn mad at Tony that she couldn’t see straight. How many times did she have to reiterate that losing your cool in front of reporters was the quickest way to bring hellfire raining down. Now she would have to run all kinds of interference for Stark Industries since Pepper would be out with Happy and Tony could never be bothered to run the business.

Pulling into the garage was like coming home. Dummy, U, and Butterfingers all came to greet her and JARVIS was sure to infuse his usual greeting with sass. 

“It is always a pleasure to have my favorite Stark home, ma’am.” 

She smirked. “Now JARVIS you are going to make Tony jealous.” 

Before JARVIS could reply FRIDAY made her presence known. “You can’t have my Stark J so stop trying to butter her up". 

Liz shook her head but quickly lost the warm feeling as anger took its place upon Steve and Tony arriving. 

“You want to explain to me why you thought threatening a terrorist was a good idea?” She demanded and Tony ducked his head before meeting her eyes defiantly. 

“I don’t have to justify myself to you.” Liz’s eyebrow went up and she continued to stare. 

Tony was angry and he knew that Liz didn't have the whole story so he plowed ahead before she could say anything. “The Mandarin is the one responsible for the attack that put Happy in the hospital.” Liz’s eyes widened but she remained silent. 

“I was angry and I lost it okay but I am not sorry I threatened the coward. No one hurts my family.” 

He watched her expression soften and then morph into a fire to match his own. “Well I understand now. I am not particularly happy you threatened a terrorist but I get it.” He watched her walk further into the lab. “Now show me what you’ve got so we can nail this bastard.”

The light in her eyes was hard and it perfectly matched his. The iron that burned in their souls was strong and thanks to Howard they both knew how to channel anger into something productive.

Steve had met Elizabeth Stark briefly after the Chitauri attack. The woman had helped with the clean up effort and she had been the one to figure out how the device Dr. Selvig had created worked. She was also in a relationship with Thor, which baffled Steve but he had been frozen in ice for seventy years so he wasn't about to judge. 

He had found Tony’s younger sister to be much like Tony but where Tony was fire Liz was ice. Tony had been loud about his distrust of Fury, Romanoff, and SHIELD. Liz on the other hand had simply blocked any SHIELD member from gaining access to the building and when they did get in she refused to let them out of her sight. Steve also found that while Tony seemed to be an asshole by default Liz was only one when pushed. She was also the only one that put Tony in his place without demeaning him in any way. It was a fascinating sight to behold. 

The stare down in the lab had been intense and Steve would have almost bet that Tony was going to lose. Then Tony explained himself and Liz surprised him by demanding to know what information they had so they could all catch the guy. 

The girl had spunk. She reminded him a lot of Peggy. He felt a pang at that but shook it off to return to the conversation at hand.

Liz, Tony, and Steve all stared at the digital crime scene reconstruction and tried to figure out what had happened. JARVIS had also layered on everything he had found about the Mandarin. Tony saw that Happy had been looking in a particular direction. When he moved to see what was in the man’s line of sight he found the dog tags. JARVIS informed them that there was no public record of a military death.

Tony motioned all of them up on the toolbox while he plotted all theromogenic occurrences for the last twelve months. Then he took out all the supposed Mandarin attacks. It left just one that fit the heat signature of all of the Mandarin attacks. He shared a look with Steve and Liz and asked JARVIS to create a flight plan. It looked like they were going to Tennessee.

The doorbell was unexpected and it put all of them on high alert. “JARVIS how did she slip in here? I threatened a terrorist J we’re supposed to be on full security lockdown.” Tony stated while staring at the nearest camera.

“Sir I am unable to answer that question as I did not pick her up on any of my scanner until now.” 

Liz hopped down from the toolbox. “Well lets not keep the lady waiting.” Tony noticed that she was carrying her taser and looked almost excited to use it. 

Maya Hansen had not expected to ever turn to Tony Stark for help but she was desperate. 

“Wait right there.” 

Maya immediately startled when she heard a feminine voice and turned to see the business end of a taser. 

“Who are you and how did you make it in here?” Maya did not want to deal with an irate girlfriend so she held her hands up in an attempt to pacify the angry woman. 

“I am here to see Tony. I am an old friend.” The woman cocked her head sideways. “Funny I don’t remember my brother mentioning that Maya Hansen was a friend of his.”

She was startled that the woman knew who she was but upon taking a closer look she realized she was staring at the youngest Stark. There was a rumor that circulated in the science circles that Elizabeth Stark had the genius to match her brother but without all the reckless tendencies. It was also said that ending up on her bad side was a one-way trip to ruin. 

“Tony and I met at a science convention in 1999 in Switzerland. I imagine I didn’t rank very high on his priority list after our one night together.” The indifferent mask the woman wore didn’t shift at all but she did lower the taser.

“Well I don’t think she is the Mandarin.” Then the young woman intently stared in to her eyes. “Are you?” Maya quickly shook her had no and let out a relived sigh as Tony came into the room.

“I will never know how you manage to appear intimidating when you are so small.” Tony said while poking his sister to make her lose some of her tension. It worked but only slightly. 

Steve had opted to stay in the living room so that if things went south his presence would be an unaccounted for surprise. Tony had asked Liz to wait but she managed to slip around him and confront Maya before he even exited the elevator. 

“What can I do for you Ms. Hansen?” Tony asked politely. He watched the woman take a deep breath and seem to reach a decision. 

“Look I need to be alone with you. It’s urgent.” Tony held up his hand before Liz could protest. “Why don’t you come in and tell us what is going on?” Tony motioned for the woman to enter the living room. 

He watched her glance at Liz before nodding and stepping further into the house. Liz caught his eye and pointed in Maya’s direction before shaking her head and tightening her grip on her taser. It would seem his sister did not trust Maya Hansen. He acknowledged her concern and moved to see what the woman had to say that was so urgent.

Steve had not expected Liz to greet the woman with her taser in hand but upon watching the exchange thanks to JARVIS he couldn’t honestly fault her mistrust of their visitor. The woman’s eyes shifted constantly and it seemed as if she thought she was being followed. She also refused to make eye contact with anyone but Tony and hadn’t even acknowledged his presence when she entered the room. 

He felt more than saw Liz slid up next to him. “I do not like this.” Steve nodded and watched as Liz moved to insert herself into the conversation. He couldn’t help but think that Liz missed her calling and should have been a spy not a scientist. 

Maya was asking for Tony’s help and Tony was confused as to why she had sought him out now. “I read the paper and I don’t think you are going to last the week.” Her statement made Liz’s hackles rise but before she could comment the woman caught sight of Steve and looked absolutely shell shocked to see Captain America standing in Tony's living room.

Tony looked down at Liz. “I don’t like this. Why would she seek me out now?” Tony’s mind was running at lightening speed when Liz’s next words stopped him in his tracks. 

“Probably for the same reason she sought out Aldrich Killian a few years ago. She has hit a roadblock that she can’t overcome and she wants you to do the work for her.” Tony turned back to ask Liz to explain when the room exploded.

He didn’t even have to think he sent the armor to surround Liz and covered his face as he was slammed into the wall opposite of Liz. “JARVIS!” He coughed. “J get the bots into the vault.” He looked over and saw that Steve had grabbed Maya and used his body to shield her. Before he could move the ceiling above him began to crack and fall. He closed his eyes but never felt the impact because Liz had moved the armor to cover him. “I’ve got you big brother.” He smiled up at her. “I got you first.” The both turned when they heard Steve groan. “You get Maya and I will get Steve.” She nodded and moved to do as he asked. 

As they moved there was another blast that sent Tony flying into the couch. “Tony!” He waved her off. “Get to them. I am right behind you.” 

He jumped over the couch and followed her only to be cut off when the floor collapsed. “Go get them! Stop stopping.” Tony ordered but Liz ignored him and flew back across and grabbed him. “I am not leaving you here!” Tony decided not to argue with her as she landed. 

“Take the suit Tony. I can’t use it like you can. I will get them out without it.” Tony shook his head but saw that Steve was starting to stand. He moved and helped Steve stand and Liz grabbed Maya and got her on her feet. They all moved to leave when the next blast threw Liz and Maya forward and out of the house while it pulled Steve and Tony apart.

The house was staring to tilt towards the ocean. Tony couldn’t stop himself from sliding and he knew with chilling certainty he was going to end up crashing through the window. 

Steve had reached instinctively when the first blast hit the house and protected Maya. The chunk of concrete to the head was unexpected and painful. But what almost stopped his heart was watching Tony nearly fall into the hole in the floor and order his sister to leave him. He didn’t want to lose the man before he even got the chance to tell him how he felt. Of course he should have known that Liz would never leave Tony. 

When they both landed back on this side and moved to help him and Maya he nearly breathed a sigh of relief. It would seem they were going to get out this just fine. Then the next explosion sent Maya and Liz in the armor flying out of the house while he and Tony were pulled apart. 

He landed in a relatively open area only to watch as Tony started sliding towards the shattered windows that were now facing the sea below the house. Steve quickly lunged and grabbed the small man’s hand and pulled him into his chest as he tumbled back towards the portion of the house still attached to the cliff. 

“Sir Ms. Stark is free of the structure.” JARVIS’s voice broke into the chaos. 

Tony nodded and called the armor to him. Both he and Steve scrambled towards the door while the helicopters outside started shooting at them. The armor wrapping around him was like coming home but the armor wasn’t combat ready. Steve motioned to the piano and Tony let go the cracked floor he was clinging to blast it with his repulsors and send it flying into one of the three helicopters outside. He heard Steve cheer and say “that’s one of three.”

Tony grabbed him and pulled him along behind him while another copter shot at them. Tony pulled something out of his suit and handed it to him. “Throw this!” He yelled and Steve lobbed it directly at the helicopter taking shots at them. Tony hit it with a repulsor blast. “That’s two.” 

It was oversight that the downed helicopter would smash into the house. Steve didn’t see it coming so when Tony gripped him and threw him towards the top of the structure it was completely unexpected. He looked down and Tony was gone. The house was crumbling. "TONY!" He scrambled away from the falling debris and looked around frantically for Tony. Then one last missile pulled the majority of the house down and into the ocean pulling Steve down the cliff with it.

Throwing Steve hadn’t been planned but Tony hoped he had managed to throw him far enough away that he wouldn’t get pulled down with the house. The hole he fell into put him in the lab and he was glad to see that the bots weren’t there. He hoped Jarvis had been successful in getting them into the lab. The whole house started sliding into the ocean and all Tony could do was hold on. He didn’t expect the cable that wrapped around the suit and quickly pulled him to the bottom. Tony finally got the cable out from around his neck but he was powerless to stop debris from burying him.

Liz ran inside the wreckage and shouted for Tony but couldn’t see any sign of him anywhere. She looked around and heard a voice calling her name. She ran towards the edge and saw that Steve was barely holding on. She threw herself on his hand and gripped his arm to help him up. It was a struggle and she was convinced she was never going to get him over the edge.  
In their struggle to pull Steve up neither noticed a red and gold armor propelling itself out of the water and disappearing into the sky.


	6. Calling in a Favor

Tony had been missing for a few hours when she decided to place the call. 

After the portal had been closed and Amora dealt with Liz had talked with Thor. After her talk with Thor and Tony’s request for Shwarma she had finally met Thor’s siblings. Turned out that Loki wasn’t his actually brother and she suspected that Marzanna was not his actual sister. She and Marzanna had hit it off right away. Tony accused them of getting on like a house on fire and it had made Loki laugh so hard he nearly fell out of his chair.

In the time they remained here before departing for Asgard Marzanna had given Liz a pendant. “I know that my brother thinks that communication between the realms is impossible but it isn’t. More like the Allfather isn’t powerful enough to make it happen.” She had handed her the pendant. “With this you can contact me no matter where I am and I will answer.” Marzanna had looked over Avengers. “I know that your brother would be unlikely to call but it seems you are far more levelheaded. Know that if you ever need me I will come.” Marzanna smiled before leaving Liz wondering just how long it would be before she used the gift.

The pendent was a smooth almost soft metal and when she pushed it, it glowed a soft purple. She hoped that Marzanna would answer quickly because she desperately needed her help.

Marzanna Odinson was training a group of young mages for her mother when she felt the pull. She wrapped up their training. “You’ve done well today. You are dismissed but I expect you back here same time tomorrow.” There was some groaning around the room but it stopped as soon as Marzanna’s eyes narrowed. A chorus of “yes ma’am” sounded around the room as the youngsters exited. 

Marzanna walked up to Frigga. “I must go mother. I am being called.” Frigga nodded absently because she was busy planning Loki’s birthday celebration. 

Marzanna did not dare leave Asgard without telling Loki where she was going. She walked into Thor’s council room to find her love going over reports. “Love I am being called I will be back as soon as I can.” She said while kissing him lightly. Loki gripped her face as she started to pull away. “I will come with you if you need me to.” She shook her head. “I don’t know what is going on but if I need you I will call for you.” He nodded and then kissed her hard. “I love you Little One. Be careful.” She pulled back. “I love you too and I will be.” 

With that she teleported to the caller and was surprised to see that it was Elizabeth Stark and Steve Rogers.

Steve wanted to go down there and look but Liz kept stopping him from attempting it. They had to wait for the emergency crews to finish. Steve had been dealing with recurring flash backs of Bucky falling since he had come out of the ice. The only thing that had stopped them was Tony. He knew that when he finally crashed he was going to see Tony instead of Bucky and even when he got him back he didn't know if he would ever be able to forget. Last time he hadn't been in love with the person he lost. 

He was brought out of his dark thoughts by a familiar voice. “So who blew up Tony’s house and why isn’t he here?” Steve looked up and met the intense purple eyes of none other than Marzanna. 

“What are you doing here? I thought you were stuck in Asgard.” He asked her incredulously. She pointed at Liz. “She called me.” 

Liz was so happy to see Marzanna that she damn near started crying. “Marzanna!” She lunged and wrapped the small woman in a bone crushing hug. 

Marzanna patted her back and simply got down to business. She had asked what was going on so they filled her in. “Can you tell us if he is alive?” Liz remembered what she had said about Coulson after the attack and how she had been right. Marzanna’s eyes took on a far away look before she nodded. “He is alive.” Liz breathed a sigh of relief and nearly crumpled to the ground. Steve could feel the relief wash over his face but he also knew that alive was in no means safe. He needed Tony to be safe. 

Marzanna held her up and turned to see the determination on Steve’s face. “We have to find him.” 

Marzanna was pleased to see that Steve seemed to have figured out what was important. “I can find him for you but I want to know why there is a woman cowering behind this car and attempting to listen in on our conversation.” Marzanna turned and pinned Maya with a glare before the woman could move. 

Liz balled her fists up and pointed at Maya. “She arrived just before we were attacked.” Liz watched as Marzanna’s eyes flashed dangerously but the woman’s face remained calm. “I can make her tell us what you want to know.” 

At her words Steve had a flash back to what had happened with Amora and he quickly stepped in. “No I think she is going to more than willing to tell us what is going on.” 

He turned to face the frightened woman. “After all you came to Tony for help did you not?” Maya nodded and promised to tell them as soon as they were in a secure location.

“I will have to call a taxi because all the cars are gone.” Steve looked at Marzanna. Marzanna held up her hands. “No can do Captain. If I teleport you all at once it is going to hurt and I don’t think the coward can handle it.” 

Liz smirked. It was good to have Marzanna back. The woman was a fantastic judge of character.

The taxi finally arrived and they got on their way. Liz hoped that Marzanna could find Tony quickly. She wanted her brother safe.


	7. Flight Plan

Tony woke up to JARVIS screaming at him about power dropping and crashing imminent. He screamed as he nearly took out a truck on a lone highway. The landing was painful but the snow was pretty. 

“What are we upstate?” Tony questioned. 

“We are five miles outside of Rose Hill, Tennessee.” Tony’s eyes widened. “Why? J! Not my idea! What are we doing here? This is thousands of miles away! I’ve got to get Liz and Steve. I’ve got to…” JARVIS interrupted him. “I prepared a flight plan. This was the location.” 

Tony couldn’t believe this. “Who asked you? Open the suit!” JARVIS’s voice started to fade. “I believe I may be malfunctioning.” “Open it J.” Tony ordered and the suit peeled back to expose him to the blistering cold. It was extremely cold so he wanted to put the suit back on but Jarvis faded away as the power died in the suit.

Tony was ill prepared to haul the suit through the woods but there wasn’t any other option. He pulled the cables he had installed for securing the suit in an aircraft and began pulling the heavy ass thing towards the lights in the distance.

Upon reaching the Texaco he was exhausted and freezing. He hoped there was a payphone or something so he could get in touch with Steve and Liz to let them know he was okay and he would figure out a way to end the Mandarin. He hadn’t meant to get them hurt but all it took was for his temper to rise and look at what he had caused. Tony might not have given his address out on national television but it wasn’t like he had kept it a secret either. There was no telling how the mad man got his address but he couldn’t go back and risk further injury to either Steve or Liz. 

The poncho around the carved wooden Indian would have to do for now. He surprisingly found a payphone. Thank God for backwater behind the time little towns. As he connected to the secure server he didn’t know what to say. 

“Liz and Steve I know that you are going to want to find me and will probably succeed so I'll just tell you that I am in Rose Hill, Tennessee. I am so sorry that I put you both in danger. That won’t happen again. I am alive but the suit is damaged. I am going to fix it but I can’t come home until I fix it.” Tony took a shaky breath. “I won’t put either of you in harms way again so I am going to figure out how to end this from here. Just know that I love you both and I will be home when it’s safe.”

He hung up and then it hit him what he had said. Lord help him! He had just admitted to not only his sister but also to Steve that he loved him in the worst way possible. He had wanted to say it face to face or ya know not at all ever. His emotions were running high and it had just slipped out. Oh just let Thor’s lightening strike him now. It would save him the trouble of lying in the street and freezing to death waiting on a car to hit him. Tony pulled himself together and figured he could deal with the fallout after he killed the bastard that blew up his house.

Finding the shed close to the gas station but a little distance from town was a godsend. Getting in was easy and it had tools so he could easily begin to repair the armor. He would pay whoever it belonged to handsomely for his use of their space. 

The “freeze” was unexpected as was the child pointing a potato gun at him. “Nice potato gun but the barrel is kind of long and the gage makes it less accurate.” The kid proved him wrong by breaking the small glass on top of the cabinet to his left. Tony looked impressed. “Now you’re out of ammo.” 

The kid lowered the weapon but asked about the light on his chest. “It is an electromagnet. You should know you have a whole box right here.” Tony said while pointing to the tub next to him. Of course the next question was what it powered so Tony moved and showed the kid the armor. 

“Is that…Is that Iron Man?” The kid asked incredulously. “Technically I am.” Tony replied. “Technically you’re dead.” The kid retorted while smacking his chest with a newspaper and moving to look at the armor. The newspaper did indeed theories that Tony was dead. Well it wasn’t the first time he had been presumed dead only to appear a few days or weeks later. This time would be no different. 

The kid had called him a mechanic and he wasn’t wrong and his suggestion that Tony install stealth tech was actually a really good one. 

“Hey don’t do that.” Tony said because the boy had pulled off a left finger. “Sorry.” Tony looked at the kid who honestly looked sorry. “It’s okay I can fix it.” Tony turned back and looked at the door. “So whose home?” The boy looked up. “Mom has already left for the dinner and dad went to get scratch offs. I guess he won because that was six years ago.” 

Tony’s heart went out to the little boy but he understood not having a good father figure. “Well dads leave no need to let it define you.” The boy looked up at him. “Okay now here is what I need.” Tony gave him a list of what he needed to fix the suit and figure out if what had happened in this town was tied to the Mandarin.

“What’s in it for me?” The boy questioned. “Well Salvation.” Tony paused. “What’s his name?” The boy looked confused. “The boy that bullies you at school.” 

“How can you know that?” Tony shrugged but he knew because being rich didn’t mean you avoided bullies. He pulled a device out of the suit and showed it to the boy. “This is bully deterrent. You push the button on top and point it away from your face and towards the bully. Boom! No more bully problem.” Tony held it out to him. “So deal?” The boy nodded and took the non-lethal gadget. “So what is your name?” The boy smiled. “Harley. You are?” “The mechanic, Tony.” Harley nodded and then left to get the things Tony had asked for. 

*******  
The taxi had taken them to another Stark property that neither sibling really cared for but they hadn’t been able to sell it because their mother had loved it. Maria Stark had been a loving mother but she had been too tied up in her own life to be a good mother. It had left the siblings to weather Howard's rage by themselves.

It was upon arrival that Steve remembered the phone that Tony had given him and tried to use it to find his location. The phone was cracked from the beating he had taken so he couldn’t get the screen to function properly. He did notice that he had a voicemail so he tried to listen to it. Thankfully it worked and he could hear it connecting. The message was just static at first and then Tony’s voice filled his ear. Steve felt the relief crash through him. It wasn't that he hadn't trusted Marzanna but her word was different from actually hearing his Bambi's voice. He listened to the entire recorded message and his heart almost burst out of his chest when Tony said that he loved him. He was forever going to beat himself up for letting that man out of his sights before he told him how he felt. Steve wouldn't make the same mistake next time. 

The soldier was surprised that Tony gave them his location but he was happy that his genius wasn't trying to carry this burden by himself. He would be damned if he left Tony to take on the Mandarin by himself. He turned to Liz to tell her that Tony had left a message but he noticed that he woman was angry and it was all directed at Hansen. 

“Why the fuck would you come to Tony because you think your boss is working for the Mandarin? That isn’t something he can help you with. Go to the damn police.” 

Liz had advanced on the woman until she was right in her face. Surprisingly it was Marzanna that pulled the young woman back. “Peace Liten Brann. She is going to tell us exactly what is going on.” Marzanna pulled Liz back and forced her onto the couch and motioned for Hansen to sit. 

Hansen began by stating that she wasn’t a botanist she was a biological DNA coder. "I run a think tank of forty people and my boss is Aldrich Killian."

The name meant nothing to Steve or Marzanna but it seemed to hold some significance to Liz.

“That dirty rotten snake.” They all turned and looked at the youngest Stark. Her whiskey colored eyes sparked with fury. “He came to see Pepper the day that Happy was injured and was spouting about some new research. The ability to go in to certain parts of the human DNA sequence and rewrite it.” 

Liz turned and stared at Hansen. “He was pitching your research wasn’t he?” Hansen looked shocked. “No! No that’s impossible. I keep all of my data with me at all times.” 

Liz shook her head. “Who funds your think tank?” 

If possible Hansen’s eyes got even wider. “Killian but I never…” She trailed off and Liz gave her an almost sympathetic look. 

Marzanna could see that Liz and Steve were secure so she decided to leave and find Tony. She turned to Steve, “I am going to find Tony.” 

Steve nodded and motioned for her to follow him. "I haven't been able to tell Liz yet but Tony sent me a message. He is in Rose Hill, Tennessee but he doesn't want to put us in anymore danger. I don't want to leave Liz by herself but I need to be with him." Marzanna could see the sincerity in the soldier's eyes. She reached into her pocket and handed Steve a pendant. "When you feel that Liz is safe press the button and the magic will bring you to me as long as I am on Midgard." Marzanna gripped his hand before he could pull away. "I am glad you two figured out what was important." Steve smiled at the small warrior. "Thank you Marz." She nodded and then Steve felt a burst of energy and she was gone.

Steve clutched the pendant and hoped he could join them soon. He needed to know Tony was safe and if he was honest he wanted a piece of the Mandarin for making him believe he had lost the best thing that had ever happened to him. 

*******  
The attack on Stark’s home had gone better than expected. Not only had he managed to kill Tony Stark but he had also destroyed everything related to Iron Man. And soon no one with the Stark name would be left. He grinned and awaited the Mandarin’s arrival. 

*******  
Tony had Harley take him to see the site of the bombing. There were five shadows on the wall but there had been six deaths. Harley kept talking and then he strayed into territory that Tony would rather avoid. 

“You know what this crater reminds me of?” 

“Nope.” 

“The giant wormhole in New York.” 

Tony could feel his head begin to pound. He did not want to talk about this. 

“Are they coming back? The aliens.” Tony shook his head. “I don’t know. Maybe. This is manipulative and I don’t want to talk about it.” Harley just kept on and finally Tony had to move and get away because he felt like his lungs were burning and he couldn’t take a breath. 

When they finally got back to the topic at hand after Tony had a mini freak out Harley told him that the bomber’s mother was at the bar. Time to do a little bar diving.

Tony ran into a woman with a burn scar on the side of her face. He picked up the wallet she had dropped and handed it back to her. Their eyes met and there was flicker of recognition in her eyes but Tony had no idea who she was. They parted and Tony walked into the bar. 

The file that the bomber’s mother had proved what Tony had expected. The bombs weren’t bombs at all. They were people which was unexpected and gross. 

The woman with the burn scar returned and attempted to arrest him. Only she wasn’t very good at it because she had allowed time for him to grab the dog tags on the table and to motion to Mrs. Davis to throw away the file. Then the sheriff intervened and shit just hit the fan from there. 

Glowing people weren’t exactly new to Tony but skin heating up to a burning point was. Also terrifying. Like who the hell wants lava skin. 

Slipping the handcuffs in front of himself was childs play. Running from the shotgun blast not so much. Scarface was fast and she could throw a mean punch. Tony barely managed to get the up over the bar and wrap the cuff around her neck. Too bad she promptly burned through the metal nearly taking his wrists with her. He saw the oil and knew what to do. He drenched the floor and kicked the still glowing cuffs into it. The small fire would delay her. He threw the dog tags in the microwave and turned it on. “You walked right into this one hot stuff.” She smirked. “Is that all you got a cheap trick and a cheesy one-liner?” Tony pulled the hose for the gas. “Sweetheart that could be the name of my autobiography.” 

The blast was spectacular and Marzanna was impressed. Not such a bad thing to find when one teleports to a new location. Then she watched as a different man brought a structure down that was filled with water. She couldn’t find Tony at first but then saw him trapped under some debris. He was struggling but stopped with the man with glowy hands from before gabbed a tiny human and held him against his will. 

“What do you want for Christmas?” The man asked the boy. 

Marzanna stepped forward and slid her sword against the coward’s throat. “For men like you to cease to exist in all realms.” 

Tony could see the shock on the man’s face but it looked like the man had a plan. “Put the boy down or we will see how well you can bleed when I remove your head.” She pressed the sword further into his neck to and drew blood. The man released Harley and then amped up the heat. Marzanna could feel his body begin to heat and she drug her blade over his throat sending him crashing to the ground. 

“Well I must say this realm keeps producing the oddest creatures.” Marzanna said while looking down at the man she had killed. “Who wants glowy skin?” 

Tony couldn’t help it he burst out laughing. “That’s exactly what I thought the first time I saw it too!” She moved forward and lifted the debris off of him and helped him stand. 

“Hello Marzanna I must say you have impeccable timing.” She grinned but before she could say anything else a Harley was crashing into Tony and hugging him for all he was worth. “I am so sorry Mr. Stark. I tried…” Tony cut him off. “Don’t worry about kid.” 

He turned to Marz. “This is my friend Marzanna.” “Marz this is Harley.” He watched as Marz bent down and shook Harley’s hand. “Hello Harley. I must thank you for taking care of my friend while he was here.” Harley stared up at the woman and Tony rolled his eyes at the awestruck expression but he could understand why the boy was impressed.

“Okay we need to go. Chop. Chop.” Marz looked confused. “What are we chopping?” He rolled his eyes and directed her towards the car that beeped. At least the guy hadn’t burned up his car keys. 

He told Harley bye but ordered him to protect the armor. As the left he felt Marz grow serious. “Why is it that Liz called me and not you?” Tony looked over at the small woman. "I have a hard time asking for help Marz. It isn't anything personal. I was taught from a young age that asking for help never worked out and generally just made the situation worse." Marzanna stared at him intently. Tony couldn't help but feel like she was gazing at his soul. "I see. I will forgive you my friend." Then he watched the fierce warrior relax and smirk. "So you and Steve huh?" Tony nearly gave himself whiplash turning to stare at her. "Wha...he..and..I and then..." Marzanna's laughter was so loud it could probably be heard in Asgard. "Peace my friend. I am only teasing. In fact I am happy for both of you. You both deserve to be happy." 

"Steve wants to be here but he won't leave your sister unprotected." Marzanna didn't miss the way Tony cringed. "I meant no disrespect. I understand needing to avenge a fallen friend and refusing to return until you have eliminated a threat to your family." Tony glanced at her and remembered that she had left her family believe she was dead until she could take care of Amora. "I can see that I'm not getting rid of you and I suspect that Steve and Liz will be making an appearance at some point." Marzanna grinned but didn't elaborate. Tony sighed but couldn't stop the warm feeling that settled inside him. It was nice to be cared for.


	8. AIM

Rhodey was not a fan of the Iron Patriot name but orders were orders. He busted down the door and was just about to proceed to give his usual spiel when his phone rang. He answered because the people in front of him weren’t particularly dangerous. The question about a chick on top of him glowing threw him for a moment. 

“Who is this?” The reply of “it’s me pal” made him smile. 

“The last time I went missing you came looking for me. What are you doing?” Rhodey shrugged. “Little knock and talk. Making friends in Pakistan. What are you doing?” Tony asked him about his rebrand and then demanded his log in and like the good best friend he was he provided it. 

"Thank you honey bear!" Rhodey rolled his eyes and extracted a promise from the younger man to call if he needed help. Rhodey looked at the family before him and shrugged. "My brother." The nodding around the room made the pilot smile. 

*******  
Marzanna was forced to wait in the car while Tony did his thing. He had told her that AIM was to blame for his home being destroyed. She didn’t know what AIM was but she believed Tony so she would follow him wherever he asked her to. It was good to be back among friends. It was good to finally have a distraction.

*******  
Steve had stepped out to see if he could reach Natasha or Clint. He figured he could use their help to find the Mandarin. He prayed that Marzanna would find Tony quickly so that when he pressed the pendant he would be able to see the man immediately.

Liz had calmed down and her and Maya were talking about science things. Steve enjoyed when Tony talked science but that could have to do with him just liking Tony. The girls were putting him to sleep so he moved off to do something more productive.

Stepping out on to the patio Steve marveled at the architecture around him. Whoever had designed this garden had a good eye and when there wasn’t a crisis he would like to come back and sketch it. The appearance of two strange men was not as unexpected as it should have been. Steve was itching for a fight so he let his fists fly. The two put up a decent fight but Steve was angry and wasn’t holding back. A third man managed to get the drop on him and prick Steve’s neck before he could throw him off. Whatever the guy had injected was working but not quickly. Steve punched the man hard before moving to find Maya and Liz. He hoped he could stay conscious long enough to get them out.

Liz had been talking with Maya about their differing work and how close each was to a break through. “Sometimes you start working but before you know it you have drifted so far from the shore that you can’t ever hope to make it back.” Liz nodded. “True but you can always find a new shore to land on.” Maya smiled. “You are a true optimist.” Before Liz could reply the door to the front of the house was blown in. Now she wished she had let Tony install JARVIS or FRIDAY into the house. The men that rushed in made to grab her but she managed to dart past them and grab her taser. 

She put her taser to good use but there were too many of them. It ended up being Aldrich Killian himself that grabbed her by the throat. 

“Well hello Elizabeth. It has been so long. You have grown into quite the woman.” Maya rounded the corner. “RUN!” Liz huffed while trying to get Killian to loosen his grip. 

“Want to explain to me why you were at Stark’s house last night?” Maya rolled her eyes. “I told you that I needed him to fix the formula. He just needed the right incentive.” She pointed at Liz.

“You’ve got his incentive right there. He sent his armor to her during the attack and made sure she was clear before he would take it back.” Killian grinned at the death glare the struggling younger Stark was sending Maya. “You’ve done well Maya. The master will be pleased.” 

They moved to leave but were interrupted by the appearance of a swaying Steve Rogers.

“I’ll handle this.” Maya moved and picked up Liz’s taser and used it on the good captain. “There problem solved.” Killian grinned because his girl had a terrible mean streak when the mood struck.

Steve had heard much of what Maya had said and for the first time in his life he thought he could kill without any provocation. That woman was the reason he was separated from Tony. His body was starting to slow and his mind felt sluggish. Whatever drug they had used on him was taking its toll. When he came into the room and saw the man’s hand wrapped around Liz’s throat fury burned but it wasn’t enough to prevent Hansen from using Liz’s taser. His last thought as he blacked out was that Tony was going to hate him for not being able to protect Liz.

*******  
Rhodey was given coordinates to the supposed location of the Mandarin. It didn’t take a colonel to know that this wasn’t the location they were after. He radioed in and let headquarters know it had made a mistake again. The women all seemed happy to leave and shook the armors hand as they passed. Rhodey hadn’t been prepared for the armor to heat and the system to malfunction sending him crashing to the ground. “I have the Iron Patriot armor.” The woman smiled down at him. 

“Lady if you want this armor you are going to have to pry my cold dead body out of it.” She smirked. “That’s the plan colonel.”

*******  
“Okay Harley talk to me. Full report.” 

Marzanna listened as the small boy talked about eating candy. It seemed that he had consumed an excessive amount but Tony didn’t seem to agree. She listened to JARVIS give his diagnostic and state that the person they were hunting was in a place named Miami. Marzanna knew it must not be where Tony thought it was because he seemed terribly confused. Then the man started panicking when Harley informed him that he armor wasn’t charging. JARVIS got on and let him know that armor was charging just not in the way it should be. 

Tony grabbed the handle and exited the vehicle before Marzanna could stop him. She quickly opened the door and ran around the car and crouched in front of the shivering man. 

“Tony. I need you to talk to me.” She stated softly and surrounded him in her magic. While healing was not one of her strong suits Loki had taught her certain spells that provided comfort so the body could relax and jump start its healing process.

The absence of his suit and possibility he might not be able to get it back sent Tony nosediving directly into full blow panic attack. He couldn’t function without the suit. He couldn’t protect anyone. He wasn’t Iron Man without the suit. 

He could hear Harley’s voice as he lurched out of the car and sat on the ground shivering. The grip he had on the side of his head didn’t loosen until he felt warmth creep back into his skin. It almost felt like being wrapped in the armor. His shivering subsided and he finally pulled his head up and came face to face with Marzanna. She asked him to talk to her and he shook his head. So instead she started talking. 

“I have dealt with this before. When my power was unsealed and I ended up in Hel I had no idea how I was going to learn to control it. The power was terrifying and I was so afraid of harming someone unintentionally that I kept trying to pull every bit of it into myself. The problem with attempting to hold that much power is that it tends to overload and damn were those painful.” She paused to see if he was listening and when she caught him staring she continued. “I kept thinking that I would never be able to go back to the person I was before. I would never be able to go home because I couldn’t contain it. I wasn’t me anymore. I wasn’t worthy of being a Princess of Asgard.” He watched her sigh and cast her eyes down. “It wasn’t until I kept myself from killing Amora that I realized that this power can’t change me unless I allow it. I still don’t have perfect control and I still worry that I might hurt someone but this is my power and I own it. I am Marzanna and nothing can change that.” Tony wondered if being astute was an Asgardian thing or just a Marzanna thing. 

Harley’s voice drew their attention. “Tony I am sorry. But you are a mechanic right? So why don’t you just build something?” Tony’s eyebrow went up and he felt the last dredges of anxiety leave his mind. “Okay. Thanks kid.” He looked down and realized that the warmth was coming from the purple glow surrounding him. Tony caught Marz's attention and then eyed the soft glow. Marzanna smiled and the glow slowly sunk into Tony's skin and Tony felt better than he in a few years. "What did you do?" Marz stood. "I simply healed you." Tony was pretty sure she had done more than that but he let it go. He motioned for Marzanna to get back in the car. They drove to the nearest hardware store. Time to build some shit.

She had watched Tony build numerous gadgets and her questions has been endless but he had answered them all in time. He was exceedingly patient with explaining the details of his designs. Marzanna had taken over driving so Tony could get some more sleep. She might have nearly killed them twice but it didn’t take her long to get the hang of it. It wasn't her fault that other vehicles didn't understand their need for speed. She woke Tony up when Jarvis let her know they had reached Miami and traded seats with him. Time to bring some pain.

*******  
Infiltrating the estate was a joke and the security was lackluster at best. Marzanna didn’t even help she just followed Tony as he took out guard after guard. Tony entered the broadcast room slowly and saw the bed. He moved towards it and motioned for Marzanna to pull the cover back. When she did it was to find two half-naked women sleeping in the bed. Marzanna gave him a look that screamed what the hell but he ignored it. The sound of a toilet flushing had Tony whipping around and pointing his procured gun at the newcomer. The Mandarin quickly put his hands up and told him that he could take anything he wanted but that the guns weren’t real.

Marzanna scoffed but Tony ignored it and ordered the impersonator to explain where the Mandarin was. He also ordered the ladies to the bathroom and moved to lock them in. Out of the corner of his eye he caught the man attempting to crawl away. He shot the floor in front of him and looked at Marz. “Really? Just gonna let him crawl away?” She shrugged. “I wanted to see how far he would get.” Tony rolled his eyes and the man began talking. 

“My name is Trevor Slattery.” Tony looked at him incredulously. “You are a double or a decoy.” Slattery shook his head. “No I am an actor.” 

Tony was tired of this bullshit. “You’ve got a minute to live fill it with words.” He pointed the gun at the guys face. 

“The Mandarin isn’t real.”

Slattery went on to explain that he was a drug addict and he was approached to play the role. Tony could not believe this man was allowed to breath the same air he did. “Killian made you.” Slattery nodded. “Custom made terror threat.” 

Marzanna had tuned out the conversation between Tony and the jittery wanna be terrorist. She felt the heat before she saw the man. He barreled her over with a full body tackle before sitting up and commencing to pummel her face and chest with heated blows. Every hit felt like fire and it shot her concentration to hell. She watched as the man she thought she had killed knocked Tony out before he could move to help her. Finally she caught the man’s fists and threw him off even though his skin burned her. Before she could pull her sword to kill the glowing giant the asshole who knocked Tony out shot her twice in the back. The first shot ripped through her shoulder and the second one hit lower. Blood blossomed on the front of her shirt and her knees gave out. Before she lost consciousness she heard the man order both her and Tony brought to the mansion.


	9. Getting Answers

Steve came to with a pounding headache. He was laying on a couch in the living room. “Welcome back Captain.” He looked up to meet the eyes of none other than Natasha Romanoff. She was holding out an icepack for his head. “Thanks.” She nodded and moved to grab a file out of her bag. “This is the intel you asked for.” Clint walked into the room. “Anything you want some help with Cap?” 

He knew he could ask for their help but he wanted to end this on his own. The need to get some good old fashioned revenge as Tony had put it was burning bright within him. “I just need a location and Marzanna has got it covered from there.” Neither spy missed the conviction in his voice or the fire in his eyes. Both shared a glance and nodded. It was weirdly in sync. “We understand. If you need help call. We’ll be around.” Hawkeye said while handing him a set of keys and turning to leave with Natasha right behind him. “Thanks.” 

The location was in Miami. Steve pressed the pendant. 

The magic that wrapped around Steve was purple and it sunk into his skin so quickly that he couldn't process what was happening. One moment he was standing in the mansion and the next he was standing between Tony and a gun.

*******  
Tony woke up zip tied to bed frame. Of all the things to be tied to it had to be this. He briefly wondered where Marzanna was but figured she would be busting in to kick some ass very soon.

“Just like old times.” He squinted and saw that Maya Hansen was sitting at the desk watching him. 

“Oh yeah with zip ties…it’s a ball.” Tony barley kept himself from rolling his eyes into next week. “It wasn’t my idea.” Maya stated turning pleading eyes on Tony. 

“So you took Killian’s card.” She shook her head. “No I took his money.” Tony rolled his eyes at that. “Yet here you are thirteen years later in a dungeon.” She smiled then. “No you’re in the dungeon because I am free to go.”

He watched her get up and walk down to stop directly in front of him. The desperation in her eyes was unexpected. “A lot has changed Tony. Extremis is nearly perfect.” Tony scoffed. “No it isn’t. I’ve seen it in the field and people are going bang. You are kidding yourself Maya!” She held up an old nametag. “Then help me fix it.” 

Tony was ashamed to admit that he had no idea what she meant and the nametag didn’t mean anything to him either. She flipped the tag over and there was a formula on the back. “Did I do that?” Tony squinted to see the numbers but couldn’t recall working out any formula the night they had spent together. 

“You don’t remember.” Maya’s face fell and Tony almost felt guilty but then he remembered she was a lying piece of dirt and working for a god damn terrorist. Tony tried to appeal to her moral side. “You used to have a moral phycology and ideals Maya. You wanted to help people but that isn’t what you are doing right now. What happened to you?” Tony paused and met her tear filled eyes. “I have people in my life that make me want to be a better person. They make me better simply by existing.” He let his words sink in. “Get me out of here Maya.” Tony knew his words fell flat but he figured it was worth a shot. 

Aldrich wanted to laugh at Stark’s attempt to manipulate Maya into releasing him. The only reason the woman had tears in her eyes was because Tony couldn’t fix her fuck up. He knew that Maya didn’t have the know how to completely stabilize extremis but he had come into the possession of something that could. 

The woman that had been brought in with Stark was not human. She had been shot twice yet she still breathed. He had personally watched as her wounds closed after pushing the bullets lodged inside out. Her DNA was going to change the course of human evolution. Leaving her in the hands of his talented team of scientists he knew that the battery of tests they performed would be painful but he had no doubt that the woman would survive. 

“My father used to say to me that the early bird got the worm but the second mouse gets the cheese.” He stated while walking down to properly greet his prisoner. Ah the fire in those eyes. He almost wished he had the time to break it himself but he was looking forward to seeing it die.

Tony wanted to punch the smirk right off Killian’s face. Killian explained that his decision to send the young Killian to the roof had given the man the inspiration he needed to build AIM from the ground up. “Blah, Blah, Blah. You going to get to the point anytime soon?” The smile on Killian’s face was slightly unnerving. “Well since you asked so kindly.” Killian reached into the case he had brought with him and pulled out three metal balls. He threw them onto the floor where they produced an image of Liz being administered extremis. 

He couldn’t take his eyes off his little sister as she withered in pain. “Now this is live. I’m not sure if you can tell but at this stage of administration the body is trying to decide whether to accept extremis or just give up. If the body gives up well the explosion is quite spectacular.” He smirked as Stark’s eyes began to tear up at the implication of his little sister’s death. “Until the decision is made its really just a bunch of pain.” Tony couldn’t watch her in pain but he also couldn’t look away so he was surprised when Killian grabbed him. 

Aldrich stood and approached Stark and grabbed him by the neck. “So what benefit package would you like for the work you will do to complete extremis?” 

“Let him go!” Maya yelled and watch as the other two occupants quickly looked at her. “Maya.” Killian reasoned. “I said let him go!” Killian put his hands up and his eyes grew hard. “This is 1200cc a dose half this size and I’m dead.” Maya hoped this would be enough to stop the mad man. Killian put his hand out for the injector. “If I die Killian what is going to happen to your soldiers? What happens to your product?” Killian moved towards her. “We aren’t doing this.” His voice was hard and unyielding. Maya frowned. The man had never cared for her only what he could get out of her. “What happens to you?” She said as she stepped further away from his reaching hand. “What happens if you go too hot?” She watched as Killian turned back to face Tony and raised his gun but shot her before she could react.

Tony watched Killian kill Maya and any pity he might of felt was gone because he knew that she was responsible for Killian getting to his sister. He had no idea what had happened to Steve but if they managed to get Liz then the super solider was either gravely injured or dead. He prayed to anyone that would listen that Steve wasn’t dead. He didn’t think he could deal with losing the man that had come to means so much to him. This was all his fault. 

Aldrich smiled at Stark. “Well the good news is a high level position has just opened up.” He watched as Tony hung his head in defeat. “You are a maniac.” Aldrich shook his head. “No I am a visionary. I do own a maniac. He takes the stage tonight.” He smiled as he left the room. Let Stark stew for a little while. The genius would soon come around. They always did.

*******  
Marzanna had come to and wished she hadn’t. There were fucking glowing hands clamped around her ankles and wrists. Dumb fuck one and dumb fuck two were going to be the first to die. “Hello there. My name is Rudi and I am going to discover exactly what makes you tick before I kill you.” The sick fuck said every bit of that with a smile on his face. She had promised Loki she wouldn’t excessively use her power but she figured he would make an exception for this. Before she could get an accurate reading on how much power she needed to use the sick fuck stuck a needle into her arm and began pulling blood out of her body. The sight of her blood being drawn from her body coupled with the pain of her restraints caused her eyes to begin to glow. 

“Uh doc her eyes are glowing.” Dumb fuck number one stated. She was going to kill him first. Rudi turned back around to face her and stepped back at the cruel smile that curved her lips. Dumb fuck number two loosened his hold slightly on her ankles. What a fool.

She exploded off the table and pulled her ankles away from dumb fuck number two to wrap her thighs around dumb fuck number one’s head and twisted until she heard his neck snap. The motion caused her wrists to be wrenched from dumb fuck number one's grasp. The fire burned further into her wrists and she felt the ache in her bones but she didn't have time to focus on that. Before dumb fuck number two could reach the door she used her magic to seal it. Rudi was cowering under his desk so she would deal with him last. Dumb fuck number two turned and heated his entire body. He tried the full body tackle that had caught her off guard before. Marzanna step to the side and swept his feet out from underneath him. As the glowing man fell Marzanna pulled Sigrunn from her back and impaled the man through the heart. When the body stopped glowing Marzanna reached down and pulled his head from his shoulders. His blood splattered all over the small woman but she didn't notice it. Her eyes were trained on Rudi as the small man stared at her in utter horror. 

Marzanna walked towards the cowering man. “Oh Rudi. I will let you in on a little secret before you die.” She leaned over and whispered in the man’s ear. “I can’t be killed.” The woman stood back up and grinned at him. “But you can.” Rudi felt the hands on the both sides of his head before his skull filled with agony. “No please. Please stop.” He whimpered and begged. Rudi’s tear stained face met hers and she amped out the power. He felt like he was being electrocuted and his brain fried one brain cell at a time. “I’m sorry. Please make it stop.” He blubbered. The pain intensified even more and Rudi screamed. His scream is what made Marzanna decide to end it. She broke his neck with a sharp twist. 

As she turned to the door she remembered that the man who had attacked Tony when she first found him and managed to come back to life after she had slit his throat. A broken neck should be different but she wasn't taking any chances. She walked over to dumb fuck one and beheaded him just like she had done to other one. “Come back from that.”

She took a deep breath and pulled her magic around her. Agony exploded through her body. She was bleeding but knew that she couldn't rest yet. Opening the door and finding an empty hallway was unexpected but pleasant. She turned left out of the room and hoped it was the right direction. As she rounded the corner she wished she had gone to the right. There were ten guards standing in the room and every one of them turned to face her. “Fuck.” She raised Sigrunn but before she could move the men turned and ran away from her. 

It seemed the day was looking up and then a man in a red, white, and blue uniform nearly ran her over. As the man stabilized her she was faced with the business end of a gun. Her eyes snapped up to meet none other than Tony's. "Marzanna!" That was the last thing she remembered before she collapsed.

 

*******  
Rhodey was not getting out the suit he didn’t care what the hell these freaky people pulled. The blonde asshole that walked in wasn’t going to make him leave his suit either. “Hello Colonel.” The man placed his hands on the suit and Rhodey couldn’t believe at how much the temperature jumped. “Don’t worry we’ll get you out of there.” Rhodey was determined to hold out no matter what. 

*******  
Tony knew he had to get out of here and get to Liz. The beeping of the watch that Harley had given him drew his attention. It was time to start getting some revenge. “Hey pony tail express what is the mileage between here and Tennessee?” 

“832 miles.” Tony grinned. Then the other guy had to go and smash the watch Harley had given him. 

“Hey pal that wasn’t mine. It belonged to my friend’s sister and for that I am going to kill you first.” The man smirked. “With what you are tied to a bed frame.” Neither one was scared and that just didn’t suit Tony at all. 

He raised his hands to call the armor and nothing. He did it again while ignoring the laughter of the goons in the room and still nothing. This was not a good time for plans to start failing.

*******  
Rhodey was overheating and as much as he didn’t want to admit it he knew the suit was going to open eventually. “Do not open. Don’t open.!” The suit beeped at him and he knew it was about to open. “Alright lets go.” He jumped out of the suit and punched the guy directly in front of him. Then the blonde asshole opened his mother fucking mouth and shot a stream of lava from it. 

“You…You breath fire!?” Rhodey asked incredulously. The guy he had punched moved and pushed him into the wall. 

Aldrich smiled as Colonel Rhodes hit the ground. “It’s a glorious day.” He pointed at his man. “This time tomorrow I will have the west’s most powerful man in one hand and the world’s most feared terrorist in the other. I will own the war on terror. I will create supply and demand.”

*******  
“You are going to be in a puddle of blood in 5, 4, 3, come on!” He attempted to intimidate the men but they didn’t believe he was a threat. He hoped they were wrong. The pony tail goon told him to shut up. He refused to listen and pony tail started forward to shut him up forcefully when Captain America appeared in between Tony and his would be attacker. 

“Told you.” 

Steve took pony tail express out and then threw his shield at the other man disabling him. As Steve was taking care of the room a gauntlet finally moseyed in and attached itself to his wrist. He fired and hit a guy coming up behind Steve. “Where’s the rest!?” He didn’t have time to wait as more goons moved in to kill them while he was still tied to a damn bed frame.

Guns weren’t Steve's first love but he was damn good with them and he couldn't deny that Tony handling a pistol was hot. He continued to maneuver around the goons and finally had taken out all of them but one. Pointing his gun and Tony pointing his repulsor at the man had the man dropping his gun and throwing his hands in the air. “Honestly I hate working here. They are so weird.” They decided to let him live and motioned for him to leave. 

The guy scurried away. Steve couldn't stop himself from engulfing Tony in a bone crushing hug. Tony was squeezing him just as tightly. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you!" Steve pulled back and crushed his lips to Tony's. The kiss was frantic and life affirming. They only separated for oxygen. Steve lightly gripped Tony's face and noted the injuries. "I'm okay Steve." Steve held his gaze before leaning down to softly kiss Tony again. As he pulled back he couldn't stop himself. "I love you too Tony." Tony was staring at him incredulously but the expression quickly morphed to the one that Steve had seen the morning after they had made love for the first time. "I love you too Steve. I wish I could have told you the first time to your face." Steve just shook his head. "All that matters is that you're here now." 

For a few moments the world was right. Then reality sunk in and both men pulled apart. It was time to save the rest of their family.

 

*******  
Steve was running point as they were trying to move outside of the building. He turned the corner and crashed into a small figure. The crash sent him to the ground while the figure managed to remain on their feet. Tony moved around Steve and pointed his gun at it. Then the figure looked up and Tony would know those eyes anywhere. "Marzanna!" The woman was covered in blood and was shaking. There was recognition in her eyes and then Tony watched her eyes flutter as she collapsed. The only thing that saved her from hitting the ground was Steve's quick reflexes. 

"Please tell me that the blood isn't hers." Steve looked grim. "I don't think it's all hers but some of it must be." Tony saw that her wrists and ankles were badly burned and she had a few noticeable cuts and wounds on her arms. "We have to get out of here." Steve gently picked her up so they could continue trying to get outside. Tony took point and was going to shoot anything that got anywhere his family.

When they finally reached the outside of the building the rest of the armor had arrived and quickly attached itself to Tony. Better late than never.

"Hello J. It's good to be back."

“Hello Sir.” Tony watched as a helicopter pulled away from the mansion and the Iron Patriot armor left as well. He hoped it was Rhodey but something told him it wasn’t.

The ringing phone was unexpected by Tony picked it up when he saw it was Rhodey. "Hello honey bear! Please tell me that was you in the suit!" He could hear Rhodey sigh. "I'm afraid not. Do you have yours?" Tony sighed as well. "Kinda but we have another issue. Meet me in the main house. There is someone you need to meet."He motioned for Steve to follow him and wondered how Captain America was going to react when he met the Mandarin.

Steve was wholly, completely, and utterly ready to kill Slattery for pretending to be the Mandarin. The fool didn’t deserve to breathe for the fear and grief he had inflicted on countless innocent civilians. Steve was impressed with the way Col. Rhodes interrogated the man. He enjoyed seeing the little sniveling whelp cower in the face of the military man’s wrath. The yelling at the tv was surprising but Steve had to try really hard to stifle his laugh when Rhodes threatened to blow the guy’s face off. Steve fully believed he was capable of doing it too.

Tony needed to know where Liz was but he let Rhodey take care of the actually threatening. He was afraid if he put his hands anywhere near the guy’s neck he would kill him. Instead he focused on checking on Marzanna's injuries. “J talk to me buddy. How is she doing?” “Sir, she seems to have suffered from prolonged exposure to intense heat and dangerous levels of blood loss. Her magic is repairing her quickly so I predict she will wake up in an hour or two.” Tony breathed a sigh of relief. “J can you give me a list of her injuries?” There was some hesitation before Jarvis spoke. “She sustained two gun shot wounds, repeated burns, lacerations, broken ribs, and has several puncture wounds.” Tony hung his head. He couldn’t protect anything and being around him did nothing but bring pain. 

Despair was pulling him under but before he could move away he felt a hand grab the suit’s arm and he looked down into familiar purple eyes. “None of this is your fault. Just like the fact that you were forced to see things you weren’t ready for is not my fault. I was not responsible for Amora’s actions just like you are not responsible for Killian’s.” Her gripped slackened but her eyes remained open. She was giving him an out. He moved and gripped her hand. “We are going to get the guy who did this and kill him.” She smiled weakly. “I expect nothing less.”


	10. Trojan Horse

Tony and Steve helped maneuver a now awake Marzanna onto the speedboat as they tried to figure out the vice president thing the Mandarin had mentioned. She leaned back and looked over the dark skinned man sitting across from her. 

“Hi I’m Marzanna Odinson.” He took her offered hand. “I’m Col. James Rhodes and I’ve heard a lot about you.” She grinned. “I’ve heard about you too. You pilot the War Machine armor and you’re Tony’s best friend.” He nodded. “You are a good friend and Tony sings your praises.” Rhodey smiled. “He’s a good friend as well and I’ve been told you are one scary woman.” Her laugh was small but warm. “I can be.” She ginned and left it at that. 

Tony watched the exchange between Marz and Rhodey with interest. He wondered if those two would get along and he figured when it came time to actually fighting Rhodey would balk at having the small woman along. When it happened he was just going to shove Steve at him and let the Captain explain why trying to stop Marz didn’t work out. Tony watched as Steve switched places with Rhodey. He was worried about Marz and knew that Steve was too. They would have to keep an eye on the small warrior.

Rhodey moved to stand by Tony. “If Slattery was right about the location then we are twenty minutes from where Liz is.” Tony said. “Right but we have to figure out what he meant by the Vice President thing.” Tony nodded and Rhodey could see the wheels turning in his friends mind. “Who am I calling right now? Oh it’s the Vice President.” Rhodey rolled his eyes and learned closer to Tony to hear the conversation.

The Vice President welcomed him back to the land of the living but Tony didn’t have the time to enjoy the irony. “You are about to be drawn into a Mandarin plot and we need to get you and the President to a secure location.” Tony stated but the VP dismissed his concerns. “The President is safe onboard Air Force One with Colonel Rhodes.” Rhodey chimed in. “Sir this in Colonel Rhodes. They are using the Iron Patriot as a trojan horse. We need to immediately alert that plane somehow.” The VP assured them that he would get warning to the plane and hung up. 

*******  
The Iron Patriot armor was a blast to fly. Savin was delighted that he had been able to fix it after Killian damaged it getting the good Colonel out of it. The President inviting him onto Air Force One made this whole thing easier than taking candy from a baby.

*******  
Rhodey looked at Tony and regretted that he had to say this. “We are going to have to make a choice. We can save the President or we can save Liz but we can’t do both.” Tony nodded but he had a plan and he knew he could do it all. “Sir the cranes have arrived and the cellar doors have been cleared.” Tony grinned because JARVIS had impeccable timing as always.

Steve kept one eye on Marzanna who sat dozing and one trained on Tony and Col. Rhodes. He didn’t want to let Tony out of his sight again but something told him that in order to end this he was going to have to. He heard Rhodes give Tony a choice. They could save the President or Liz. Steve’s eyes widened but he was drawn away from their conversation by Marzanna’s voice. “We aren’t sacrificing Liz.” Her eyes were blazing and voice hard as she glared at Rhodes. Steve almost felt sorry for the man. “We can’t do both with only Tony’s suit of armor.” 

Marzanna gave him an unimpressed look. “You seem to forget that it’s not only you and Tony in this fight.” Now it was Rhodes turn to look unimpressed. “Sweetheart not to be mean but what can you really do in your state.” Steve stepped forward to intervene but it was too late. Marzanna had teleported to Rhodes, pulled her sword, and had it laid against his neck in the blink of an eye. “Do not let my appearance fool you Colonel. I am an immortal being that has lived longer than all of you combined. This is not my first battle and it isn’t my worst injury. Do not underestimate me.” 

Rhodey was not ready for the backlash his comment caused. He had expected the woman to be angry but he hadn’t expected to have a sword pressed to his throat and glowing purple eyes piercing into his own. “Let’s just relax.” He watched the woman smirk before pulling away from him. “When did you turn into a peace keeper Anthony?” He watched as Tony rolled his eyes and then pointed at him. “Rhodey I have a plan to save the President and Liz but you’re just going to have to trust me.” Rhodey nodded. “Fine lets do this.”

*******  
Savin watched as the clock struck 5 pm and began stage one of the plan. Moving to trap the secret service men was pathetically easy. Savin chuckles before moving to secure the President. Throwing the statue through the guy’s neck was an excellent touch. Taking the rest of the fools out was simple since bullets didn’t have an effect on the armor. Grabbing the President the man ordered him to just get it over with. Savin raised the faceplate and smirked. “Now Now Sir. Cool your boots. That’s not how the Mandarin works.” The horrified look on the President’s face was priceless.

He put the man in the armor and radioed for the controller at base to take over its operation. Savin strapped on a parachute and moved to arm the bomb. As he was looking out the window a woman appeared and kicked him clear across the plane. The woman was the same one that slit his throat in Tennessee. “I shot you twice. You should be dead” Savin stated incredulously. She shrugged. “I slit your throat and you wouldn't stay dead. Why should I give you the satisfaction?” Then she ginned cruelly and it unnerved Savin. “But don’t worry this time I will make sure its permanent.” 

All of them had argued against Marzanna going with Tony but she had glared at each of them and then just teleported onto the plane after looking at the phone Tony had given her after New York. “Jarvis we are going to talk about you helping after I finish this.” The AI was suspiciously silent and Tony snapped the faceplate down and blasted off. 

He arrived at the plane just in time to see the man who knocked him out get kicked across the plane by Marzanna. As the man rose Tony entered the plane and slammed him up against the wall. “The President. Now!” Tony demanded. “He’s not here.” The man replied and moved to grab the suit with his hand. Marzanna cut the hand off with her sword before it could land and the man screamed in pain. He looked at Marz and then down at the glowing hand and back up at the furious woman. Her eyes were harder than he had ever seen them before. “Those fucking hurt.” Was all she said before she moved in front of Tony and plunged her sword directly into the guy’s heart. “Get up from that asshole.” Tony snarled. The man looked shocked at the sword but then he grinned and hit the button on the device in his other hand. “Go fish.” He said before slumping to the floor. 

The explosion rocked the plane and Tony knew that couldn’t be good. Before he could order Marz to move she reached down and ripped the guy’s head off. “Oh gross! Was that necessary?” Her eyes were still hard when she replied. “I made sure he wasn’t getting back up.” All Tony could do was nod because he couldn’t get the hardness of her eyes out of his mind. 

“Come on.” Tony ordered and grabbed Marz. As they left Tony assessed how many people there were. “I can’t catch them all at my current power levels.” Then the suit started glowing and Jarvis came over the com. “Sir power levels are increasing and I assume it is Ms. Odinson’s doing.” Tony looked down at a determined looking Marz and took off. He knew how they were going to save everyone. 

He caught them barrel of monkeys style and kept all of them together by electrifying the connection from person to person. Marz kept his power level stable and even managed to catch a few falling passengers herself. As Tony slowed down and dumped their catch in the water below he tightened his hold on Marz before she fell with them. “I thought you weren’t going to push it?” She grinned as he sat down on the boat and let go of her. “I never said that.” Marz replied. As she let go of the armor it started to lose power and fell off Tony in pieces. “So how did it go?” Rhodey asked and Tony replied that they saved everyone but missed the president. “We can’t save the President with the suit how the hell are we going to save him without one.” Rhodey lamented as he walked towards the front of the boat. 

“J is it ready?” 

“I assume you mean the house protocol sir?” Tony grinned his boy knew him so well. “Sir I am initiating it now.” Time to level the playing field.

Marzanna was exhausted but she knew that she wouldn’t be able to rest until they saved Liz. She knew that her body was going to demand payback for all the hell she was putting it through but she hoped it would wait to collect until she could make it back home. If she collapsed on Midgard Loki was going to have her ass. 

*******  
Liz awoke with a start and gasped for air. All she could remember was pain before her memories came rushing back. Fuck Maya Hansen and Aldrich Killian. When she got the chance she was going to kill them both and then ruin everything attached to either of their names. 

“Hello lovely.” She turned and glared at Killian’s stupid face. “If you think he is going to help you. He won’t.” Liz stated while shaking her head. Tony would never help this asshole complete this serum so he could terrorize the entire world with it.

Killian stepped towards her. “Having you here is not just to motivate you big brother. It’s kind of embarrassing.” Killian paused and it dawned on Liz. “I’m the prize.” Killian looked impressed with her deduction. What a fucking bastard. She knew she should keep her mouth shut but she just couldn’t. “I guess its true what they say.” He turned and looked at her as she looked down and then back up. “Men with small feet are always compensating.” The look of outrage on Killian’s face was worth the slap to the face. 

The arrival of the Iron Patriot armor prevented any further interaction. Liz was shocked to see the President fall out of the armor and it dawned on her that Killian was playing multiple games. He was the terrorist but with this serum he would be able to combat terror threats with ease. He was creating his own supply and demand while keeping his name out of all of it. He had to be stopped. 

Aldrich was pleased to see the President because it meant all of his years of planning were finally paying off. As he brought the man into the room to show him the part he would play he could have laughed at the shock on the man’s face. “That is the Roxon Norco.” The shocked man stated. Aldrich grinned. “It is and when she spilled a million gallons of crude off Pensacola not a single fat cat saw a day in court. All thanks to you Mr. President.” The man asked him what he wanted. “I don’t want anything from you Mr. President. I just needed a reason to kill you that would play well on TV.” Killian smiled. “I’ve moved on and found myself a new political patron. By this time tomorrow he will have your job.” Aldrich walked past the President to leave while his men got the leader of the free world into place.


	11. Iron Legion

They arrived and made their way onto the dock without any of Killian’s henchmen spotting them. Before leaving Rhodey had given Steve the other gun he had. Tony held his hand up but Rhodey shrugged. “He’s a soldier. You aren’t.” Before the argument could escalate any further Steve handed Tony the watch he knew transformed into a wrist gauntlet. "This was supposed to be a surprise but I think you need this right now." Tony stared at the watch and saw the engraving on the back. Just one word. Home. He felt the weight of that word and couldn't stop the sweet smile that overtook his face. Steve smiled and went to turn around but was stopped by Tony kissing him. 

Rhodey was staring with his mouth agape and Marzanna was clapping. Steve blushed and could see the red in Tony's cheeks as well. Rhodey shook his head. "We are so talking about this later but for now we have terrorists to stop." 

Rhodey directed them towards a set of shipping containers closer to the cranes. Once they had all reached the containers Rhodey could see the President strung up in the Iron Patriot armor. “Oh my god.” He turned back to them and described what he saw. “They are going to light him up. Death by oil.” Rhodey knows they have to get the man down so he motioned for everyone to follow him.

They make their way up towards where the President is being held. Rhodes has point, Tony behind him, Marzanna behind Tony, and Steve brings up the rear. “Tony is your watch engaged.” Steve doesn’t miss the way Marzanna has to stifle her snort as Tony whips his gauntlet into the air. “What do I do?” Tony asks and Rhodes tells him to cover his six and not to shoot him. The man is adorable no matter what situation they find themselves in.

They are spotted and bullets start flying. They all quickly duck behind some cover. “I did okay.” Rhodey rolls his eyes. “Yeah you really killed some glass.” Tony frowns. “I was aiming at the bulb but you can’t hit a bulb at this distance.” Rhodey stands up and takes out the bulb with one shot. As he sits back down Marzanna claps, Tony looks annoyed, and Steve seems to be considering abandoning them to complete the mission by himself. “Focus. We need to finish this as quickly as possible.” The Captain voice gets all of their attention so Tony stands up and does a quick scan. 

“We’ve got incoming. Two guys and one girl all armed.” All of them nod. It’s time to go to work. 

Each person stands and picks a target. “I would kill for some armor right now.” Rhodey states as he selects which flaming asshole to take out first. “You’re right we need back up.” Tony states and Rhodey nods. “Lots of it.” Tony then points towards a light in the sky that is seemingly getting closer. “Is that? Are those?” Rhodey asks. “Yeah.” 

Steve notices the approaching lights. It looks like Tony’s excessive building has paid off. The Iron Legion all lines up and he can tell that each armor is just as impressive as the next. “Merry Christmas guys.” Tony states. 

“J take out each target with an extremis heat signature with extreme prejudice.” “Yes Sir.” The armors all begin turning to face the glowing assholes. “What are you waiting for? It’s Christmas. Take them to church.” Tony orders.

Marzanna was impressed with the armors. “If J pilots this well then why do we need you in the field?” She smiled at the mocking glare coming from Tony. “J only pilots that well because I taught him.” Marzanna continued to smile. “Sure. Whatever you need to tell yourself.” Tony flipped her off.

An armor crashed into the support of the platform they were all standing on but Tony is prepared and orders one of his armors to stabilize it. “So this how you’ve been managing your downtime?” Rhodey smiles. Tony shrugs. “Everyone needs a hobby.”

When one armor crashes into a container full of oil the explosion is spectacular but the aftermath not so much. A suit sits down on their platform and opens to Tony. As Tony crawls in Rhodey asks him for a suit. “I’m sorry they are all coded to me.” Rhodey gives him a blank stare. “What does that mean?” Tony smiled as the faceplate slammed down. “It means I’ve got you all covered.” He blasted away before anyone could do anything about it. 

Rhodey turned and looked at Steve. “You want to help me secure the President?” Steve nodded but turned to face Marzanna. “What are you going to do?” She looked up at both of them and Rhodey noticed her eyes were glowing. “Free Liz and kill some people.” Both men nodded and watched as she disappeared. “She is a scary woman.” Rhodey stated. Steve looked at Rhodes. “You have no idea.”

Marzanna and Tony arrived in the control room where Liz was at the same time. Tony spotted her lying under debris and went to move it. “Stop! Put it down. Put it down.” Liz screamed. Tony leaned down and reached into the debris for Liz’s hand. “Next time someone from thirteen years ago comes looking for you I am going to kill her and save us all this trouble. Liz stated while straining to reach Tony’s hand. Tony scoffed. 

“I’ll be sure to dispose of the body for you.” Marzanna choose that moment to chime in. “I know of a great place to dispose of a body.” Both siblings shared a look and smirked. It was nice having such a wonderfully supportive friend. Tony clasped Liz’s hand but yelped and fell back as a superheated hand melted through his chest plate nearly grabbing the arc reactor.

Liz yelled for Tony as Killian melted through the damn floor. “Is this guy bothering you?” He purred while looking at Liz. She was going to kill him the first chance she got but she was helpless to stop him as he straddled Tony and began to burn the armor around his chest.  
“Don’t get up.” Aldrich grinned. His finger began to burn where it was pressed to Tony’s chest. “Is it hot in there? Stark are you starting to feel a little stuck?” He grinned manically.

“Are all of your lines this bad?” The question caught him off guard as much as the sword aimed at taking his head off did. Aldrich fell back just in time to avoid a fatal blow. When he looked at the woman he realized she was the one that wasn’t human. “Well I guess Rudi didn’t do his job very well.” Her eyes snapped up to his and he couldn’t help but stare at their intense color. She advanced on him and he raised his arm to throw fire at her but she moved faster than he could see and sliced his arm off at the elbow.

Marzanna was face to face with the man that had ordered her tortured and she lost it for a moment and cut his hand off. Too bad the hand melted through the floor sending Liz down and onto the machinery below. Liz’s cry of pain brought her out of her killing rage. 

Tony exited the suit and ran outside to get to Liz. The machinery she was on began to move. He had to get to her before it reached its end point and crushed his baby sister. Following Liz was difficult enough without super heated soldiers chasing him. It was a good thing the Iron Legion was doing a good job of keeping them at bay. He ordered Jarvis to get him a suit but it got blasted before he could get into it. All that ran through his mind was that he needed to save Liz now.

*******  
Steve and Rhodey made their way to where the President was strung up. “Don’t worry Mr. President. I am going to get you out.” Rhodey turned to Steve. “I am going to slide across to the President and release him. I need you to keep the thugs at bay.” Steve nodded. “Go. I will cover you.” 

Two super heated solider approached and began attacking Steve immediately. He slammed the shield and his fists into their bodies but they kept on coming. Finally he managed to knock the girl over the side. One down and one to go. He tried to knock the guy over the edge but ended up getting pulled onto the shipping container below with him. Steve landed hard but managed to avoid the heated hand aimed at his chest. He flipped up and rammed the shield into the guy’s stomach doubling him over. Then he brought he shield down hard on the back of the guy’s neck before kicking him off the container to fall to the ground below. 

He prepared for another fight as something landed hard behind him but when he turned around it was Rhodes and the President. “I am clearing the area.” Steve nodded and watched as Rhodes left. He jumped onto the next container and made his way towards where he last saw Tony.

*******  
Tony kept running towards Liz and hoping that an armor would catch up. It didn’t but he was glad to hear that the President was secure and Rhodes was clearing the area. 

He jumped onto the lower platform and finally reached Liz. “Relax I’ve got you.” He yelled and reached as far as he could for her outstretched hand. She was scared and it ate at him. “I can’t reach any further and you can’t stay there. You have to trust me and let go. I will catch you.” Liz nodded but then the rig shifted and she slipped past Tony scrambling hands. “NO!” Tony yelled and was powerless to stop Liz’s fall. He was equally powerless to stop Marzanna as she jumped after Liz. “Fuck. No! Marzanna!” Tony tried to catch her but she was over the side before he could do anything about it. He watched as Marzanna caught up to Liz and wrapped around his little sister but something was wrong and she didn’t teleport away. Tony had to watch as the fire below swallowed both of them. 

His eyes filled with tears and agony consumed his mind. He wiped his eyes as Killian came into view. Killing that man was priority number one now.

*******  
Steve stood horrified as Liz and Marzanna plunged into the fire. He looked up and saw Tony move to take on another glowing man. There was no way Tony was prepared to fight. Steve took off and hoped he reached Tony before anything happened to him. He couldn’t lose him too.

*******  
Liz was terrified when Tony finally got to her and stretched his arm out to her. She was clinging to the rig and knew that there was no way her brother could reach her. He asked her to trust him and let go but as she was preparing to do that the rig shifted and her lax grip caused her to fall. Tony wasn’t able to reach her and Liz knew she was going to die and her brother was going to have to watch. 

That was until she saw Marzanna jump. “Marzanna no!” She yelled but the small woman slammed into her anyways. “I am going to teleport but it is going to hurt. Ready?” Liz nodded and just as she felt the flames begin to lick her skin they landing on the docks next to some shipping containers far removed from the blast. 

Marzanna hadn’t been lying about the pain but it was nothing compared to what extremis had felt like when first injected. Liz looked over and saw that Marzanna was sprawled out and breathing harshly. She levered her self up and crawled to the woman. “Are you okay?” She asked while noticing the dried blood covering Marzanna. “I’m fine. We need to get back.” Marzanna shook her hands off and stood on shaky legs. Liz stood on equally shaky legs. “Lets go.”

*******  
Aldrich stared at the flames below. “It’s a shame.” He looked back up at Stark. “I would have caught her.” Stark started running towards him and slid under him as he jumped to punch the little man. 

Tony knew J had an armor incoming but his mind was calm. He was going to kill Killian and probably himself in the process. HIs death didn't matter as long as he could take Killian with him. The feel of armor wrapping around him was like coming home. 

The fight was short but brutal with Killian managing to snap pieces off before he ejected and jumped into another suit. Their brawl was evenly matched until Killian cut the leg that Tony barely managed to detach from his body off his second suit. The asshole sent him to the ground with a well placed hit. He pulled him up and his hand began to glow. Tony ejected just as Killian cut his armor in half and landed on the container below with a thud.  
“Mark 42 in bound.” Jarvis stated and Tony couldn’t believe it. “Well I’ll be damned. The prodigal son returns.” He called the armor to him but it hit he damn railing and fell apart. Killian smirked and Tony just rolled his eyes. “Whatever.” 

Aldrich smiled. “You’re a terrible brother Tony and you didn’t deserve a sister like her. It is such a pity too because I almost had her perfect.” He jumped down and moved to end the insignificant whelps life. 

“Wait!” Tony threw his hands up. “You’re right I didn’t deserve her but you’re wrong about something. She was already perfect.” Tony ordered the armor to encase Killian. “J do me a favor.” He looked up at Killian’s face contorted with rage. “Blow Mark 42.” Tony jumped onto the metal below the platform and prayed he could get out of the blast radius in time. Thankfully Jarvis was ready and had another armor for him to jump into and pilot to the ground.

Steve had watched Tony jump and his heart had nearly stopped because he hadn’t seen the armor. When he saw Tony encased in armor he heart restarted at a gallop. Then Tony landed hard on the ground and Steve finally felt like he might be able to breath again. He made his way towards Tony but paused when he heard the container shift and a man climb from inside and start towards the downed Tony. He ran. 

Tony was convinced that nothing was going to kill this freak. He tried to move away but couldn’t lift himself. “No more false faces. You wanted the Mandarin. I am the Mandarin!” He put his arms down to attack Tony but was knocked off of his feet by an angry Captain America. Steve moved directly in front of Tony but never took his eyes off the downed Killian. “Steve.” Tony coughed. Steve couldn’t stop himself from turning around. “Are you okay Bambi?” Tony shook his head but motioned for Steve to help him up. Steve crouched down beside the genius and didn’t see Killian stand up and advance towards them. 

“Hey fuck face!” The voice was hauntingly familiar. Tony and Steve turned to see Liz and Marzanna standing between them and Killian. Marzanna had her sword out and Liz was glowing.  
An armor approached the area and Tony frantically called for Jarvis but his earpiece was gone. Liz and Marzanna avoided the first repulsor blast. Liz locked eyes with Marzanna who put her sword on her back and cupped her hands. Liz ran and put her foot in Marzanna’s hands as she boosted her up to spear the armor with her glowing fist. She slammed the armor to the ground and then put her right arm into the armor and pulled it free of the suit. 

Killian ran at the girls but Liz turned and hit him with a repulsor blast. A missile had fallen out of the arm so Liz kicked it at Killian and then blew it up with another repulsor blast. “Get up for that asshole.”

Liz and Marzanna turned to face them. “You know I can see why you like being Iron Man so much.” Tony couldn’t help the smile that broke out across his face and he rushed to hug his sister. “No don’t! I might burn you.” Her concern didn’t stop him from wrapping her tightly in his arms. 

“You scared the devil out of me. I thought you were dead.” Liz gripped him equally tight. “Well Marzanna waited until the last minute to teleport.” Tony looked at Marzanna. “Thank you Marz.” The woman smiled softly but continued to stare at the last place Killian had been. “He won’t come back from that right?” Liz turned and fired another repulsor blast. “Nope.” 

Steve hugged Liz next and he surprised the smallest one among them by wrapping her in a hug as well. “You give good hugs Captain.” Steve laughed and squeezed one more time before releasing Marz. 

Steve walked over to Tony as he was looking at the remaining armors. “I have to say that each and every one of your armors were impressive but the Iron Man I love the most is right here.” Steve reached out and drew Tony against his chest. Tony clenched at his shirt and buried his face in Steve’s chest. “I love you so damn much Steve but being around me will only cause you pain.” Steve gently gripped Tony’s chin and pulled until their eyes met. “If I get hurt for loving you it is the world’s fault not yours. Nothing about my love for you and your love for me is hurtful.” Steve kissed him lightly. “We all have enemies but we don’t have to fight them alone.” He pulled Tony tighter against him. “I want it all Bambi. The good. The bad. And everything in between.” Tony’s smile was soft and warm. It made Steve’s stomach flutter. “I want that too. Every day. All day.” They both leaned in and when their lips pressed against each other Steve felt like he was finally home and Tony knew he was finally safe.

The “awws” from their crowd had Steve and Tony pulling away and blushing. 

“Don’t mind us. We were just thinking of catching a ride to the nearest hotel so we can bathe and sleep for days.” Liz stated while acting like she was searching for a cell phone signal. “Very funny sis. Just remember payback is a bitch.” Liz smirked but Tony could tell she was happy for them. Tony turned to Marzanna and noticed the woman looked exhausted. It was probably a good idea to find a hotel so everyone could get some sleep. Just as he was about to suggest it another familiar voice spoke. "I would call this pushing it Little One." 

Everyone whipped around to see Loki standing behind them and looking completely pissed. Marzanna slid over to hide behind Steve. "Well things may have gotten out of hand but that wasn't my fault." Marzanna's muffled voice stated. Loki stalked towards Steve and the soldier felt extremely protective of the small woman buried in his back. He gently gripped Marzanna's arm to keep her behind him and glared at the man approaching him. "Stop Loki. She is hurt and isn't likely to be honest about her injuries if she thinks you are furious with her." His words had the desired effect. Loki's whole demeanor changed and Steve heard Marzanna's soft words of thanks. Steve moved and watched as the God of Chaos got his first look at Marzanna. 

Loki was renowned for his ability to remain claim and collected. Seeing his Little One covered in blood, in pain, and magically exhausted pushed him over the edge. His magic reacted and slammed into a half resurrected Killian. Loki's magic tore him apart bit by bit and drained every bit of heat out of him until not even dust remained. Everyone was frozen in shock. "I really hate the creatures in this realm." Marzanna's words broke the spell and brought Loki's attention back to her. Loki moved so fast that Steve couldn't track him and it became apparent why when they watched him pick Marzanna up. The girl had finally collapsed. "I've got you Little One." Loki looked at all of them and his eyes were alight with fury. "I want to know what happened but I believe we need to leave first. Tony nodded and felt Loki's magic surround them. One blink and they were in Stark Tower in New York. 

"Wow." Liz was impressed by Loki's power. "Why is it that your teleportation didn't hurt?" Loki looked at her and then down at Marzanna. "It is a difference in our magic. Hers was not designed for teleportation. When she teleports it is uncomfortable for her but she has long learned to ignore it." Liz nodded. "Thank you for explaining." Loki inclined his head and then turned to focus on Tony and Steve. His eyes were intense and then a smirk graced his face. "I see my Little One has been meddling." The men looked at Loki for an explanation but he shook his head. "She will tell you when she is ready for you to know. Don't worry what she has done benefits both of you." Steve looked at Tony and the smaller man shrugged. It was too late and they were too tired to be asking questions anyways. Loki assessed his companions and could clearly see the exhaustion in each of them. "I can see that everyone is exhausted. My questions can wait until you have all rested." 

Tony had Loki move to the floor he had intended to gift to him and Marzanna when they returned from Asgard. Loki thanked him and told him that he would let him know when Marzanna woke up. Liz had already left to go to her floor after making kissy faces at her brother. He would get even with her for that later. Steve had watched the exchange and wasn't very successful in stopping his laughter. Tony turned to him and pulled him to their room. Steve smiled and eagerly followed his love. He knew things would be different now. For the first time since waking up in the future Steve was happy and for the first time since his mother died he had home. Steve pulled the genius snuggled against him closer and couldn't imagine what he had done to deserve this. But he knew he would do whatever it took to hold onto it.


	12. Aftermath

Loki was thankful that Anthony had given them an entire floor. His magic was unstable and his fury was barely leashed. Loki laid Marzanna down on the bed and shoved his fury aside so he could check over all of her injuries. The worst injuries were the four hand shaped burns on her wrists and ankles. The burns were deep and would likely scar but the scaring wasn't what made his magic pulse and fill the room. The fact that the burns were clearly a byproduct of some type of restraint made Loki want to burn the world to the ground. He couldn't stop his mind from imagining the worse care scenarios. His mind was spiraling and his magic was lashing out at everything around him. 

"Kee." 

The voice stopped him in his track. Loki nearly flew to Marzanna's side. "I am alive and I am here with you. I am safe. Your magic is lashing out and I need you to pull it back in before it hurts our friends." Loki was breathing hard. He met Marzanna's eyes and drew on their unwavering belief in him to contain his out-of-control power.

"Thank you love." Marzanna gently pulled him down and softly kissed him. Loki couldn't stop the full body shudder at the press of her soft lips. He wrapped her small frame in his arms and moved to sit on the bed. "Tell me what happened."

After hearing her tale Loki wanted to go back and resurrect every person who had laid a hand on her just to kiss them again. Maybe he could request that Hela let him torture them especially the one named Rudi. 

Marzanna was exhausted but she felt lighter after telling Loki what had happened to her. She hadn't had time to tell Tony or Steve and while she didn't think she should keep the information from them she also didn't want them to blame themselves. When she told them she would just have to make that clear. Marzanna could feel Loki scheming. "Darling you cannot resurrect those men but I am sure if you asked Hela she would let you help torture them."

The laughter that filled the room was soft but nice. "You know me very well Little One." Loki shifted her as he drew her fully onto the bed with him. "You need to sleep." He began stroking her back as she settled against his chest. "I will watch over you and I love you Little One." The mumbled reply was cut off as his precious bundle finally let sleep claim her.

*******

Tony woke up wrapped in Steve's arms. He didn't know what he was awake but he trusted his instincts. Looking around the room he spotted the slightly ajar bedroom door. Tony extracted himself from octopus Steve and silently padded out of the room. 

The sight that greeted him nearly broke his heart. Liz was curled up on the couch with tears streaming down her cheeks. He quickly approached the couch and gathered his sister into his arms. "Liz what's wrong." With hitching breaths Liz told him about the pain of extremis and her fear of killing him with it. "Tony this shit is completely unstable. I cannot stay here. I cannot put everyone in danger. I have to leave." Her breath caught and fresh tears trailed down her cheeks. "But I don't want to leave. I love you and we just got back to being a family. I don't want to leave all this." Tony clutched her tighter but before he could speak another pair of arms joined his. 

"We aren't letting you leave Elizabeth." Steve gently stroked her hair and met Tony's eyes over the top of her head. "We are family and family sticks together. We will figure this out together." 

Tony loved Steve more than life but in this moment he knew that no matter what life threw at them they would make it. The determination in Steve's eyes mirrored his own. They were family and family meant no one gets left behind.

*******

Loki awoke the second time to see that Marzanna was sleeping peacefully. His magic had healed all of her physical injuries and had boosted her own magic's recovery time. She would be back to normal in another day or so. He left her sleeping and went to speak with their friends. 

The tower layout was fairly simple and the voice in the ceiling was helpful. Loki made his way down to the lab since that was where everyone seemed to be. As he walked in he noticed that Elizabeth was glowing and radiating an unnatural amount of heat. He could also see the fear on her face and the tension on Anthony and Steve's faces as they watched her. 

"What ails lady Elizabeth?" Loki's question startled Tony but he man quickly recovered. "She was injected with a chemical called Extremis. It has rewritten parts of her DNA to give her new abilities but the drawback is that it is highly unstable. When it reaches the critical point then the infected person's DNA literally explodes." Tony's eyes looked haunted as he finished his explanation. Loki walked towards Elizabeth. "May I try something Lady Elizabeth?" Liz's smile looked forced but she nodded.

Loki slowly began scanning Elizabeth with is magic. When his scan reached Elizabeth's brain Loki found an area that was unconnected from the rest of the brain. Loki focused his magic into that area. He focused on healing and reconnecting the damage. Once the magic had connected everything it glowed a soft white and Loki knew that he had done everything he could. 

Liz had closed her eyes the moment Loki touched her to focus on not allowing her body to heat itself. When there was an increased pressure in her head it took every bit of her self control not to break away from Loki's grip. The pressure steadily increased until it was almost unbearable. Then between one blink and the next the pressure was gone and so was the feeling of fire under her skin. She opened her eyes and locked on the bright green eyes in front of her. "Thank you." She wasn't sure how she knew but there was no doubt in her mind that Loki had fixed her. 

Loki smiled at her and patted her shoulder. "My Little One loves you so you are family. I will do anything for my family." The God of Chaos stood up and moved back so that Tony and Steve could check her over. 

After checking Liz over Tony decided that maybe magic wasn't a bad thing. It didn't take long for a sleep rumpled Marzanna to stumble into the lab and right into Loki's awaiting arms. The violet eyed woman looked Liz over critically before grabbing Loki and kissing him soundly. Then Steve ushered everyone out of the lab and to the kitchen. Captain Mother Hen decided that everyone needed to eat so he started cooking the pancakes Tony had shown him how to make during their stay in Malibu. As Tony watched over everyone interacting he couldn't help but smile. This was a family and it was all his.


	13. The Perks of Magic

Steve continued to pace the hallway outside the medical wing in the Tower. It was hard to believe the place had become home just a little over two weeks ago after they eliminated the Mandarin. Tony had been in surgery for over five hours and Steve was starting to lose hope. If he had been paying better attention. If he had just been faster then they wouldn't be here right now. If he had just... Steve's train of thought was interrupted by the appearance of Marzanna. She grabbed him and all but carried him to the elevator and then down to the gym. He tried to protest but it fell on deaf ears.

"Marzanna I am not leaving him. I need to go back." Steve stated urgently but Marzanna just kept pushing him to the center of the room. If he hadn't been distraught he probably would have been impressed with how easily she maneuvered him around. When he went push her out of his way she struck. The hand that wrapped around his wrist was like a band of steel and the move that followed was too fast for Steve to catch. The ceiling was actually very pretty and Steve got the distinct impression that he was going to grow tired of it very quickly. 

"Get up Captain. Your worry does no one any good and your pacing is annoying me." Marzanna was someone he considered family but her tone grated on his nerves. Steve quickly got to his feet and glared at the smaller woman. "What would you have me do Marz! The man I love is in there because I wasn't fast enough. It is my fault he got hit." The woman quirked her brow at him. "I know you have a guilt complex as long as the Bifrost but not even you can blame yourself for what happened today." Steve went to speak but Marzanna cut him off. "There was no way you would have been able to stop Tony from protecting Liz. The minute the man targeted Liz was the minute Tony forget all about his own self-preservation. More importantly you took down the man who is to blame." Marzanna could see she wasn't getting through so she decided to try a different tactic. 

"Am I to blame for all the deaths that Amora caused?" Steve shook his head. "Well why not? I am the reason she came to Midgard. If I had not challenged her then she never would have been here." Steve stared at the smaller woman and realized that Marzanna's voice had gone soft. The woman had doubt swirling in her violet eyes. "Amora is to blame for what Amora did. Not you and not anyone else." Marzanna looked up and met his eyes. "Then the man who stabbed Tony is responsible for Tony's injury. No you and not anyone else." Steve's eyes widened as his words were turned against him. He sighed and walked over to hug the small woman. "If I'm not responsible then neither are you." Marzanna hugged him back. "I can live with that." 

Liz smiled from the door to the gym. It was good that there was another person in the tower that wasn't afraid to stand up to Steve. This savior complex could use a little bit of reduction. Too bad the small warrior couldn't just live here. Liz turned to leave only to be stopped by the small woman. "I know you aren't thinking of leaving." Liz turned around to lock eyes with a smirking Marzanna. "Wouldn't dream of it."

By the time Jarvis let them know that Tony was out of surgery and in recover. Liz was ready to die, Steve was thinking that the smaller woman might be the devil in disguise, and Marzanna was slightly winded. When Marzanna looked at him Steve felt like he was prey. He would forever be grateful that she had decided to fight with them.

*******

Loki watched a very sweaty and out of breath Elizabeth and Steve enter the waiting room followed closely by a grinning Marzanna. His Little One was glowing and it was clear that they had been sparring. He knew it was the way Marz preferred to kill time and it also served her desire for training the other two. Loki hid a smile because none of their family understood what they in for now that Marzanna had claimed them. The training schedule was going to be so full that they would be more than willing to ship her off to Asgard just so they could get a break, yet Loki knew that after they trained with her they would each be better warriors for it. 

Once there were seated Loki explained that they were able to remove the arc reactor and the metal shards from inside Anthony. Then Loki had used his magic to heal the extensive damage to his chest and heart. He also explained to them that his magic had found many older injuries that it had dealt with as well. The reason it had taken so long was due to the multitude of injuries the magic found. Loki looked at Elizabeth. "Did you know that at some point your brother's back was broken?" Her eyes went wide and she shook her head no. "I will let you all ask him about his injuries but know that he is healed and will likely feel better than he has in many years."

Marzanna caught Loki's eye and moved to his side to support him. The drain on his magic had been great and he needed to rest. Steve and Elizabeth both thanked the man and moved to see Tony. Marzanna promised to come back down later.

Liz knew that Howard had been abusive but just how often had her brother saved her from his fists and how had he hidden a broken back. There were many questions that she wouldn't be able to get the answers to until her brother woke up. Steve watched Liz's reaction and wondered at the look of horror on her face. He wondered if he should broach the subject with her. Before he could ask anything Marzanna slipped back into the room. Steve and Liz looked at her. "Loki's asleep. He drained himself but he will be okay after he sleeps." Both of them nodded. They all sat staring at the sleeping genius and stewing in their own thoughts.

*******

Tony woke up feeling better than he had in longer than he could remember. There was no pain. That might not have been strange since he was in a hospital but there was also no haze or sluggish feeling that generally accompanied strong pain killers. He felt clear headed. For the first time in a long time Tony hoped he wasn't dead. There was really no other explanation for how he was feeling right now and he wasn't ready to die dammit. The snort from the end of his bed stopped his spiraling thoughts. He looked down towards his feet and met the amused gaze of Marzanna. 

"You aren't dead my friend. Loki's healing magic is just that good." Then the memories hit Tony. He had stepped in between a mugger and taken a knife to the chest for Liz. The chaos that had broken out had been mind boggling but the voice that had taken command and made everyone fall in line to get Tony help had impressed the genius. Loki was a force to be reckoned with. "Loki saved my life." Marzanna nodded. "None of us would have let you die. I am pretty sure that Steve would wrestle your soul back from Death herself." Tony looked over at the man in question sleeping in the chair next to the bed and smiled. "I would do no less for him." Marzanna smiled and knew that her gift to them would be appreciated. "I wanted to see you but now that you are awake I need to get back to Loki." Tony's eyes snapped to her but she held her hand up. "He is fine. He is just asleep." Tony exhaled and then shooed the woman out of his room. "Go. Take care of your prince." 

After Marzanna left Tony noticed that Liz was curled up on the couch. He smiled at the picture she made but found his attention pulled back to the man next to him. Tony reached out and stroked hand holding his. The light touch brought Steve out of a dead sleep. He lurched forward but stopped when he felt the hand in his tighten. "Steve! Steve it's okay. You are safe and so am I." Steve turned to face Tony and couldn't stop himself from getting up and leaning down to softly kiss Tony's lips. "I am so glad you are awake. I was worried." Tony gently gripped the sides of his face. "I am okay and if its any consolation I feel better than I ever have before." That seemed to be the wrong thing to say because Steve's eyes filed with concern. Steve pulled back slightly and sat down on the bed facing Tony. "Loki told us that you have a lot of old injuries that had never healed properly." Steve trailed off and Tony knew that the man wanted to ask but didn't know if the question was welcomed.

Tony sat back and glanced at Liz. There were things he didn't want her to know. Steve followed his eyes. "You don't have to tell me right now but one day I would like to know." Tony turned back to him and his eyes were swimming with uncertainty. "There were only two things that Howard liked and neither one of those were his children. He was a mean drunk and he was drunk more often than he was sober. The worst thing he ever did happened when I was seven." Tony took a breath and seemed to steel himself for something. "Howard didn't want a second child but Maria wanted a daughter so he let it go. When Liz was born she was perfect and I decided that I wouldn't let Howard ruin her. When she was six months old Howard stormed into her nursery because she was crying and proceeded to smother her." Tony's eyes looked haunted. "I saw him and grabbed a lamp and climbed up on the chair beside the crib and smashed it over his head. He turned and tried to grab me. His eyes were crazy. I knew I was going to die if he caught me but I had to save Liz." Steve moved to wrap an arm around Tony and noticed that Liz was listening intently. "He chased me through the house but I managed to stay ahead of him until I took a wrong turn and ended up on the third floor balcony. The man lunged and I couldn't slip out of his grip. Instead of chocking me like he threatened he held me out over the balcony and let me go." Tony shuddered and Steve couldn't stop his gasp. "I hit a group of bushes which saved my life but the fall still broke my back. Jarvis found me and took me to Maria. If he hadn't found me then Howard would have left me to die." Tony was crying and Steve felt so damn powerless. "Even after I recovered Howard would often target my back when he decided to get physical." Tony's eyes held iron in them. "He may have hurt me but I made sure he never laid a hand on Liz. I couldn't stop the emotional abuse but I made sure his fists never landed on her."

Tony stopped talking when he felt his sister slide her arms around him. "Thank you big brother." Tony turned and hugged her as well as he could. "Anytime sis." Steve let the siblings have their moment. Something told him that they both needed it. 

Steve had known Howard but that relationship started with him being a guinea pig for the man during project rebirth. They had talked numerous times and he would always be thankful to the man for giving him his shield but after hearing what a monster than man turned into he almost wished he had never known him. As he watched Tony and Liz pull apart his hatred of the man was overshadowed by the fact that the man had been partially responsible for Steve finally finding a home. He would never forgive Howard but at least the man's children weren't anything like him. 

Liz could tell that Steve needed a minute with Tony so she kissed her brother's cheek and headed off to her own room. She was going to find Marzanna and ask her for a favor. Liz stepped out of the room and found a silently raging purple eyed woman. "I'm guessing you heard everything." Marzanna nodded. Liz grabbed her friend and pushed her towards the gym. "I think we could both use the distraction." 

"Do you think she will be okay?" Tony's question brought Steve back to himself. He nodded. "Yeah. She's tough. After all she's your sister." His comment made Tony smile so he counted it as a win. "I am sorry for unloading on you and I know that the Howard you knew wasn't the one I had as a father..." Steve didn't let Tony finish. "Never apologize for telling me anything about yourself. You are far more important to me than any perceived friendship I might have had with your father." Steve cupped Tony's face and gently kissed him. "I will never forgive that man but I am proud of the man you made yourself into. I love you Tony." 

Tony was overwhelmed so he kissed Steve with everything he had. When they pulled apart Tony quickly pulled Steve back down. "I love you Steve Rogers. You are an amazing man and I am so damn glad you're mine." Tony moved over on the bed and pulled Steve down next to him. The soldier knew he wouldn't be sleeping anytime soon but he enjoyed the feeling of Tony in his arms too much to move. He watched his genius drift to sleep and couldn't wait to see what the future would bring them. If there was one universal truth it would be that life with Tony would never be boring and there was no place that Steve would rather be.

*******

Two weeks after Tony's successful operation he was regretting ever inviting the two mages to join their team. Marzanna worked them far worse than a drill sergeant could. The woman had even managed to get Natasha, Clint, and Bruce in on her training. The Hulk thought it was fun to train and with both Marzanna and Loki present Bruce didn't have an issue with letting the big guy out. The two were working on figuring out how to co-exist with each other and so far they had made vast improvements compared to when Bruce first joined the Avengers.

Fury walked into the training room and Tony heard Steve and Clint groan. The director of SHIELD smirked and shook his head. "Today's training will be different." Marzanna has been focusing on your ability to work together as a team and you have made great strives but playtime is over. I am going to put your training to the test." Fury pointed at the ceiling and Jarvis lowered a screen which displayed an unconscious and bound Marzanna. The shocked faces around the room worked to Fury's advantage. "She only has an hour of air and the chemical she is under was designed with her power levels in mind. She won't likely be able to burn through it so it is up to you to save her." Fury watched as the magnitude of the situation dawned on them. "Good luck." With those last words Fury walked out.

"J do you have a trace on her location?" Steve awaited the answer with baited breath. "Yes. Setting coordinates now." The team filed out and in to the quinjet. All except Tony who took to the air as soon as he got the go ahead from Steve. "Iron Man secure the perimeter once you arrive but do not engage further unless forced to." The reply of yes captain was lost in the hum of the quinjet's engines. 

"Captain the perimeter is secure but we have hostiles inbound. What is your ETA?" Clint held up two fingers. "Two minutes. If the hostiles approach you take them out." Upon arrival it was clear that there had been a pretty good battle but it had concluded for the moment. Iron Man landed next to the quinjet and waited for everyone to depart. Steve assessed the situation and sent Natasha and Clint in first, with him and Tony to go next, and Hulk to bring up the rear. They made it into the complex with no trouble but upon reaching the room that Jarvis had tracked Marzanna to all hell broke lose. 

There were five opponents and they stood in between them and Marzanna. Their opponents seemed to be matched to their power. Marzanna had created magically copies of them in training numerous times so they could handle this. "We have done this before team. You know which one to take on. Eliminate with extreme prejudice. We have a princess to rescue." Steve moved to engage his doppelgänger. As they engaged it became clear that these beings were far more powerful than the ones they trained against. Steve watched as his team was having issues defeating their look-a-likes and he noticed that Marzanna only had ten more minutes. 

"Instead of doing this one-on-one lets make it a team effort shall we." Steve could see the grins on Natasha and Clint's faces. After they all worked together they managed to eliminate three of the five but the hulk and captain beings were still standing. Steve, Hulk, and Hawkeye were keeping the two busy while Black Widow and Iron Man freed Marzanna. 

"This box is pressure sensitive so as soon as you crack the lock I will grab her and haul her out of there." Natasha nodded at Tony's order. She cracked the lock and Tony quickly pulled their friend free. As soon as she was no longer encased in the box Marzanna groggily opened her eyes. "What the hell. My head is killing me." Tony broke the ropes encasing Marzanna and picked her up. "Can you stand Marz?" He waited for her to nod and then gently set her on her feet. When she crumpled immediately Tony decided that Fury was going to pay. The eye-patch wearing devil better be glad that Loki was forced to go home because the God of Chaos had become super protective of Marzanna since the Mandarin incident. 

"Widow she can't stand and I can't hold her and fight." Natasha looked at Marzanna and didn't thinks she could carry the woman. "I will cover you and we will exit the building and put her on the jet." Tony nodded. "Captain we have secured Marzanna but the drug Fury used is impeding her abilities. Widow and I will retreat to the jet to secure her and then return to you." Steve didn't want them to leave but knew this was probably the best way. "Copy Iron Man. Go."

They got out of the building with no issues but before they could make it to the jet the Hulk crashed into the ground next to them. He was quickly followed by his red look-a-like. The Red Hulk turned and tried to take a swipe at Tony and Marzanna. The hit would have connected had Marzanna not thrown up a shield. Tony watched as the woman's eyes glowed and the shield moved to encase the Red Hulk. The Red Hulk screamed as Marzanna's power sank into its skin and it was thrown to the ground. "Now Hulk!" Marzanna's order brought the Hulk down on top of his doppelgänger and put a swift end to the fight. 

Marzanna motioned for Tony to put her down. He did but kept an arm around her for support. The fact that she was leaning on the armor alarmed Tony. Then he watched the stubborn woman push off and stand on shaky legs. "You need to help Cap and can't do that while watching me. I will be fine with Widow." Tony nodded and took off to help put an end to this fight.

As soon as Iron Man was gone Marzanna felt gravity take her. She didn't know what Fury had given her but when it was out of her system she was going to be paying the man a visit. A visit preferably accompanied by the Queen of Hel. As she sat there she began planning the various ways she could make the one-eyed fucker pay. 

When she watched the team work together to eliminate the last threat she was proud of how well they worked together. Surprisingly it was Hawkeye who was the first one to make it to her. "Are you okay Marz?" He squatted down in front of her and visually checked her for injuries. "Whatever drug Fury used was powerful and I fear that it hasn't completely left my system." Marzanna felt slightly dizzy and when Steve moved to pick her up she whined. "Sorry Steve. I don't feel well."

All of them could tell that their smallest member was having a difficult time and none of them much cared for it. Steve tightened his hold and met Tony's eyes. "J can you tell me what Fury drugged her with?" The team waited for the results and Natasha started stroking Marzanna's hair. "Sir. Ms. Odinson has been dosed with a high concentrate of Tetrodotoxin. It is a poison commonly found in puffer fish and has no known antidote." 

All of them turned to stare at the groggy Marzanna. "That fucker is so dead when I get my hands on him. No fucking way am I dying to a puffer fish. I refuse to fall victim to a creature that can't even handle a little excitement in its life." Marzanna's words startled a laugh out of Tony and Clint who quickly clamped a hand over their mouths. Marzanna squinted in their direction. "You two will help me make him pay. We will put puffer fish all over his office chair and I can put them in stasis so they won't puff up until he walks into the room and sits on them. I bet he screams like a bitch." Tony and Clint both grinned and agreed to help before Steve could even attempt to stop their plans. Plus he valued his life too much to get in between Marzanna and her revenge. 

As they entered the quinjet and Steve left Marzanna to planning Fury's untimely demise he almost felt sorry for the one-eyed man. Fury wasn't going to know what hit him. Then he remembered that Fury had tried to kill off a member of his family and promptly offered his services to bringing about Marzanna's revenge.

*******

Fury screamed like a bitch and all of the avengers including Captain America were officially persons of interest in the ongoing investigation.


End file.
